Merck & Co. (MRK)
NYSEHealth CareDrug Manufacturers - GeneralSnapshot 2026-09-04
$150.33-1.32%
Close 2026-09-04 · 1-day change
NYSEHealth CareDrug Manufacturers - GeneralSnapshot 2026-09-04
Research Workspace
Put MRK beside peers and holdings, graph the same metric, and keep your notes with the evidence.
Daily closes. Earnings/event dots are placed inline.
Industries move in repeating boom-and-bust cycles. This shows where this stock’s industry sits in that cycle, stage by stage (recovery → expansion → supercycle → steady → deceleration → contraction), from its fundamentals (orders, revenue, capital spending), not the stock’s price.
A booming industry is a tailwind for the names in it; a contracting one is a headwind. Companies in the same industry tend to rise and fall together with the cycle, the way a tide lifts and lowers every boat in the harbor at once, so a large part of a stock’s swing can come from where its industry sits rather than from the company itself. It’s context for reading the company’s results, not a buy/sell call. Full explanation →
Pharmaceuticals is in expansion. Describes the industry's cycle state, not a call on this stock.
The stage band shows the industry’s cycle over the chart’s timeline (each color a stage); a ▼ marks a quarter its growth inflected down — amber is an unconfirmed watch, red is confirmed the next quarter. Use “Overlay cycle on chart” to tint the price chart by stage. The industry’s fundamentals, not a signal on this stock.
Primary pillar broken — Non-GAAP EPS at least $5.04 in 2026: FY26 EPS guidance $2.71 vs $5.04 target.
View ThesisRevenue is growing steadily — about 5% over the past year.
View GrowthRanks among the strongest in its industry on quality — around the top 13%.
View QualityManagement screens strong on capital allocation, earnings delivery.
View ManagementExpectations look high — the market is pricing in about 71% growth a year, above the roughly 4% analysts expect, leaving little room for error.
View ValuationModerate volatility — typically moves about 1% a day.
View RiskMerck's growth depends on advancing and expanding its oncology pipeline. Revenue grew 5% year over year, and the latest quarter beat expectations. It trades at 47× P/E versus a peer median of 16×, indicating the market is pricing in more growth than forecast. The primary risk is a credibility hit if Merck cuts guidance after recently raising it. Peer multiples imply a price about 71% below where it trades (it looks expensive on this basis). Our read is provisional.
Trailing returns as of 2026-09-04. MRK is total return (includes dividends); the S&P 500 benchmark is price return (the index excludes dividends).
Based on 28 analysts currently covering MRK (as of Sep 2026).
Based on 15 Wall Street analysts offering 12-month price targets for MRK in the last 4 months.
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Compare MRK with peers and holdings, graph the same reported metric, keep your questions beside the evidence, and return when the facts change.
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| Compare | Company | Living FV | P/E | Revenue % | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MRK Selected company | Graph | Compare | Trend | Review | |
| Peer Add a competitor | Graph | Compare | Trend | Review | |
| Holding Compare a holding | Graph | Compare | Trend | Review |
Selected metric trend
Quarterly · checked companies · value or % of revenue
A consensus fair price across 11 valuation methods, at three horizons. As of 2026-09-04. Estimates are diagnostics, not price targets. Short-horizon estimates are close to coin-flips, so confidence is a method-agreement read, not a prediction.
Today's peer multiple on trailing earnings, with no growth credited. This is the headline read.
Adds projected growth, so it leans optimistic by design. Read it as upside context, not a base case.
A price-focused, side-by-side fair-value read versus Pharmaceuticals — fair value, gap to price, and forward P/E.
Compare the value case
Put MRK next to peers and holdings, compare Living FV and multiples, then graph the driver behind the difference.
Advances: Advance and expand oncology pipeline
Positive trial results enhance oncology pipeline prospects.
Not investment advice. Scores describe historical and current data; they are not forecasts of future returns. Consult a licensed advisor before making investment decisions.
End-of-day figures as of 2026-09-04. EPS is implied from price ÷ P/E. Not investment advice.
Current $150.33
The last 12 months of price, then the range of analyst 12-month targets from today’s $150.33.
Analyst ratings and price targets are third-party Wall Street estimates, not QuarterlyIQ’s view. Not investment advice.
A long-thesis check that carries the widest uncertainty of the three horizons.
Below average on quality vs scored peers
Direction of the business behind the multiple. Bands are backend reads; trailing-12-month basis.
Keytruda biosimilar launch supports oncology pipeline expansion.
Advances: Advance and expand oncology pipeline
Breakthrough in cancer vaccine aligns with oncology pipeline expansion.
Advances: Advance and expand oncology pipeline
AI vaccine stake supports oncology pipeline expansion.
Advances: Advance and expand oncology pipeline
Musk's comments highlight potential in Merck's oncology pipeline.
Threatens: Advance and expand oncology pipeline
Moderna's success may impact Merck's oncology pipeline.
Advances: Advance and expand oncology pipeline
Cancer breakthrough aligns with oncology pipeline expansion.
Threatens: Advance and expand oncology pipeline
Market reaction indicates potential concerns about oncology pipeline.
