Recent Analysts’ Ratings Changes for Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK)

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE: MRK) recently received a number of ratings updates from brokerages and research firms:

• 10/26/2026 – Merck & Co., Inc. had its price target raised by Barclays from $150.00 to $180.00. They now have an “overweight” rating on the stock.
• 10/19/2026 – Merck & Co., Inc. was downgraded by Zacks Research from “hold” to “strong sell”.
• 10/12/2026 – Merck & Co., Inc. had its price target raised by Citigroup from $125.00 to $145.00. They now have a “neutral” rating on the stock.
• 10/12/2026 – Merck & Co., Inc. had its price target lowered by Royal Bank Of Canada from $150.00 to $145.00. They now have a “sector perform” rating on the stock.
• 10/8/2026 – Merck & Co., Inc. had its price target raised by Cantor Fitzgerald from $120.00 to $145.00. They now have a “neutral” rating on the stock.
• 10/7/2026 – Merck & Co., Inc. had its price target lowered by Morgan Stanley from $179.00 to $177.00. They now have an “overweight” rating on the stock.
• 10/5/2026 – Merck & Co., Inc. had its price target raised by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $150.00 to $165.00. They now have an “overweight” rating on the stock.
• 10/3/2026 – Merck & Co., Inc. was downgraded by Wall Street Zen from “buy” to “hold”.
• 9/29/2026 – Merck & Co., Inc. had its price target raised by Scotiabank from $155.00 to $180.00. They now have a “sector outperform” rating on the stock.
• 9/23/2026 – Merck & Co., Inc. had its price target raised by TD Cowen from $137.00 to $155.00. They now have a “hold” rating on the stock.
• 9/20/2026 – Merck & Co., Inc. was upgraded by Wall Street Zen from “hold” to “buy”.
• 9/12/2026 – Merck & Co., Inc. was downgraded by Wall Street Zen from “buy” to “hold”.
• 9/11/2026 – Merck & Co., Inc. had its price target raised by Berenberg Bank from $127.00 to $137.00. They now have a “hold” rating on the stock.
• 9/10/2026 – Merck & Co., Inc. had its price target raised by HSBC from $150.00 to $172.00. They now have a “buy” rating on the stock.
• 9/9/2026 – Merck & Co., Inc. had its price target raised by Leerink Partners from $127.00 to $161.00. They now have an “outperform” rating on the stock.
• 9/8/2026 – Merck & Co., Inc. had its price target raised by Guggenheim from $146.00 to $170.00. They now have a “buy” rating on the stock.
• 9/4/2026 – Merck & Co., Inc. had its price target raised by Wells Fargo & Company from $150.00 to $170.00. They now have an “overweight” rating on the stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Richard Deluca sold 20,784 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $130.43, for a total transaction of $2,710,857.12. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 134,703 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $17,569,312.29. This represents a 13.37% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 80,315 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.46, for a total transaction of $10,718,839.90. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 45,509 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,073,631.14. This trade represents a 63.83% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 228,238 shares of company stock valued at $29,977,783 in the last three months. Company insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co, Inc is a global healthcare company that develops, manufactures and markets prescription medicines, vaccines and animal-health products. Its pharmaceutical business focuses on oncology, infectious diseases, cardiology, immunology and other areas of significant medical need. The company serves patients, healthcare providers and institutions in markets worldwide.

Merck’s principal products include Keytruda, an immunotherapy used to treat a range of cancers; Gardasil and Gardasil 9, vaccines that help protect against human papillomavirus; and Januvia and Janumet, medicines used to manage type 2 diabetes.