Merck stock hits a new 52-week high on melanoma data
Published on 08/19/2026 at 17:46 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Merck & Co., Inc. (US58933Y1055) stock reached a new 52-week high on August 19, 2026, after Reuters reported that the company's melanoma vaccine data with Moderna improved trial results and lifted the share price 10%.
Trial data changed the tone
Reuters said the personalized mRNA cancer therapy developed with Merck reduced the risk of melanoma recurrence and spread in a late-stage trial, while Merck gained 10% in the same report. The move followed a session in which the shares traded as high as $137.98 and last changed hands at $135.34 on 10,283,681 shares.
That price action put the stock above its prior close of $135.97 and left it with a market value of $333.90 billion in the MarketBeat snapshot.
The latest quarter still matters
Merck's last reported quarter was August 4, 2026, when it posted an adjusted loss of $0.13 per share versus consensus for a $0.26 loss and reported $16.61 billion in revenue versus $16.37 billion expected. Revenue rose 5.1% from the same quarter a year earlier, when the company earned $2.13 per share.
The same result set also showed 2026 guidance of $2.66 to $2.76 in adjusted EPS, while analysts in the same source set were looking for $2.77 for the year.
Analysts still see value
Recent analyst notes in the source set pointed to price objectives of $155.00, $150.00, $145.00, $142.00, and $120.00, with an average target of $135.50. That leaves the stock trading slightly above the crowd's average view even after the latest jump.
For investors, the contrast is clear: the trial readout is a fresh catalyst, but the quarter ending June 30, 2026, and the updated 2026 EPS guide provide the underlying frame for the move.
Keytruda stays central
Keytruda remains Merck's best-known product and the drug at the center of the melanoma combination study. The Reuters report tied today's share move directly to that program, which now has a clearer clinical halo around it.
Merck stock after the rally
Merck stock was last quoted at $135.34 on August 19, 2026, after trading as high as $137.98 in the session. The market cap in the same snapshot was $333.90 billion.
Company details
Company: Merck & Co., Inc.
ISIN: US58933Y1055
Ticker: MRK
Exchange: NYSE
Price (as of August 19, 2026): $135.34 USD
Market cap: $333.90 billion
Sector / Industry: Health Care / Pharmaceuticals
Index membership: S&P 500
