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Merck (MRK) Advances While Market Declines: Some Information for Investors

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The most recent trading session ended with Merck (MRK - Free Report) standing at $125.37, reflecting a +0.25% shift from the previouse trading day's closing. The stock's change was more than the S&P 500's daily loss of 0.58%. Meanwhile, the Dow lost 0.12%, and the Nasdaq, a tech-heavy index, lost 1.15%.

Shares of the pharmaceutical company witnessed a gain of 2.34% over the previous month, beating the performance of the Medical sector with its loss of 6.07% and the S&P 500's loss of 1.09%.

Investors will be eagerly watching for the performance of Merck in its upcoming earnings disclosure. The company's earnings report is set to be unveiled on April 25, 2024. The company is predicted to post an EPS of $2.01, indicating a 43.57% growth compared to the equivalent quarter last year. Meanwhile, the latest consensus estimate predicts the revenue to be $15.34 billion, indicating a 5.85% increase compared to the same quarter of the previous year.

For the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $8.57 per share and revenue of $64 billion, which would represent changes of +467.55% and +6.46%, respectively, from the prior year.

Any recent changes to analyst estimates for Merck should also be noted by investors. These revisions help to show the ever-changing nature of near-term business trends. Therefore, positive revisions in estimates convey analysts' confidence in the company's business performance and profit potential.

Our research demonstrates that these adjustments in estimates directly associate with imminent stock price performance. To exploit this, we've formed the Zacks Rank, a quantitative model that includes these estimate changes and presents a viable rating system.

The Zacks Rank system, running from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), holds an admirable track record of superior performance, independently audited, with #1 stocks contributing an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 0.1% lower. Right now, Merck possesses a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

Digging into valuation, Merck currently has a Forward P/E ratio of 14.59. This represents a premium compared to its industry's average Forward P/E of 13.56.

We can additionally observe that MRK currently boasts a PEG ratio of 1.62. The PEG ratio bears resemblance to the frequently used P/E ratio, but this parameter also includes the company's expected earnings growth trajectory. By the end of yesterday's trading, the Large Cap Pharmaceuticals industry had an average PEG ratio of 1.67.

The Large Cap Pharmaceuticals industry is part of the Medical sector. At present, this industry carries a Zacks Industry Rank of 195, placing it within the bottom 23% of over 250 industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank evaluates the power of our distinct industry groups by determining the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks forming the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

Keep in mind to rely on Zacks.com to watch all these stock-impacting metrics, and more, in the succeeding trading sessions.


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