Merck reports trial results. Scotiabank raises target for Merck stock

Published on 10/02/2026 at 17:29 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS

Merck stock costs EUR 126.99 versus EUR 127.83 on October 2, 2026. Second-quarter revenue reached USD 16.61 billion, up 1.97 percent.

3D-Architekturrender eines gläsernen Forschungsgebäudes mit Grünanlagen — Architektur-Render eines Forschungszentrums repräsentiert Merck & Co. Inc., ISIN US58933Y1055, als führendes Pharmaunternehmen, Illustration mit AI erstellt.

Merck & Co. (ISIN US58933Y1055) reported positive phase 2b results for tulisokibart on September 30, 2026, while Scotiabank raised its price target from USD 155.00 to USD 180.00 on September 29, 2026. The combination gives investors two distinct signals: a development milestone in immunology and a higher valuation benchmark from an analyst house.

Tulisokibart clears a clinical milestone

According to Merck.com on September 30, 2026, the high-dose tulisokibart group achieved a 72.00 percent HiSCR50 response rate at week 16, compared with 35.00 percent for placebo. The medium-dose group reached 64.00 percent, giving Merck two dose levels that exceeded the primary endpoint.

The result also supplied a concrete comparison for the program's next stage. HiSCR75 reached 41.00 percent in the high-dose group and 15.00 percent with placebo, a 26.00 percentage-point difference, while serious adverse events occurred in 2.40 percent of high-dose patients and 2.30 percent of placebo patients.

Analyst target moves to USD 180.00

MarketBeat reported on September 29, 2026 that Scotiabank lifted its Merck target to USD 180.00 from USD 155.00 and maintained a sector outperform rating. The increase was USD 25.00, or 16.13 percent, based on the previous target.

MarketBeat also cited second-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings per share of negative USD 0.13 versus a negative USD 0.26 consensus estimate, while revenue reached USD 16.61 billion against USD 16.37 billion expected. The revenue result was USD 0.24 billion above consensus, adding an operating comparison to the clinical data.

Pipeline spending raises the stakes

Merck's September 28, 2026 licensing agreement with SciBrunch gives it worldwide rights to the preclinical oral KRAS G12D inhibitor SPR2015. Reuters reported that the transaction includes a USD 400.00 million upfront payment and potential milestone payments that could lift the total value to USD 2.13 billion. Merck will record a USD 400.00 million pretax charge in the third quarter of 2026.

The financial backdrop remains substantial. Merck generated USD 16.61 billion in revenue in the second quarter of 2026, up 1.97 percent from USD 16.29 billion in the first quarter, while operating cash flow reached USD 5.37 billion in the same quarter. The next reporting date is October 29, 2026, according to Merck's investor relations page.

Merck stock stays below its yearly high

Merck stock was trading at EUR 126.99 at Lang & Schwarz on October 2, 2026 at 5:13 p.m. CEST, down 0.66 percent versus the prior close of EUR 127.83 on October 1, 2026. The primary exchange is the NYSE, where the finance quote showed USD 143.35 at 11:28 a.m. ET on October 2, 2026; the reported 52-week range was USD 82.01 to USD 156.92.

The further course of trading is shown by the continuously updated real-time quote of Merck stock.