Merck & Co. stock holds after Wall Street Zen cuts rating

Published on 09/12/2026 at 14:21 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS

Merck & Co. stock traded at USD 143.93 on September 12, 2026, with a market cap of USD 355 billion. Wall Street Zen cut the rating to Hold that day.

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Merck & Co. stock (ISIN US58933Y1055) traded at USD 143.93 on September 12, 2026, with a market cap of USD 355 billion and a 52-week range of USD 77.58 to USD 156.92. On September 12, 2026, MarketBeat said Wall Street Zen lowered the stock to Hold, while the consensus rating stayed at Moderate Buy with an average target price of USD 151.32.

Second-quarter figures still matter

For the second quarter ended August 4, 2026, Merck reported revenue of USD 16.61 billion and EPS of minus USD 0.13, beating consensus by USD 0.13 per share. MarketBeat also noted that revenue rose 5.1 percent year over year and that FY 2026 guidance was set at EPS of 2.660 to 2.760.

Dividend and analyst target

The same September 11, 2026 filing says Merck declared a quarterly dividend of USD 0.85 per share, with an ex-dividend date of September 15, 2026 and payment on October 7, 2026. MarketBeat also showed Goldman Sachs lifting its target to USD 160 from USD 140 and Morgan Stanley raising its target to USD 179 from USD 116 in August.

Stock stays below peak

At USD 143.93 on September 12, 2026, Merck & Co. stock traded 8.3 percent below the 52-week high of USD 156.92 and 85.4 percent above the low of USD 77.58. The price and range place the shares closer to the upper half of the yearly band than to the bottom.