Merck (MRK) Increases Yet Falls Behind Market: What Investors Need to Know

Merck (MRK) closed at $115.86 in the latest trading session, marking a +0.53% move from the prior day. The stock fell short of the S&P 500, which registered a gain of 0.54% for the day. Meanwhile, the Dow gained 0.72%, and the Nasdaq, a tech-heavy index, added 0.65%.Shares of the pharmaceutical company have appreciated by 1.71% over the course of the past month, underperforming the Medical sector's gain of 4.37% and the S&P 500's gain of 4.86%.The investment community will be closely monitoring the performance of Merck in its forthcoming earnings report. The company's upcoming EPS is projected at $1.77, signifying a 16.9% drop compared to the same quarter of the previous year. Our most recent consensus estimate is calling for quarterly revenue of $16.48 billion, up 3.24% from the year-ago period.For the annual period, the Zacks Consensus Estimates anticipate earnings of $8.01 per share and a revenue of $64.14 billion, signifying shifts of +430.46% and +6.69%, respectively, from the last year.Investors should also note any recent changes to analyst estimates for Merck. Recent revisions tend to reflect the latest near-term business trends. Consequently, upward revisions in estimates express analysts' positivity towards the company's business operations and its ability to generate profits.Research indicates that these estimate revisions are directly correlated with near-term share price momentum. Investors can capitalize on this by using the Zacks Rank. This model considers these estimate changes and provides a simple, actionable rating system.The Zacks Rank system, ranging from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), possesses a remarkable history of outdoing, externally audited, with #1 stocks returning an average annual gain of +25% since 1988. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has witnessed a 0.06% increase. Merck is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).With respect to valuation, Merck is currently being traded at a Forward P/E ratio of 14.39. Its industry sports an average Forward P/E of 15.93, so one might conclude that Merck is trading at a discount comparatively.We can also see that MRK currently has a PEG ratio of 1.6. The PEG ratio bears resemblance to the frequently used P/E ratio, but this parameter also includes the company's expected earnings growth trajectory. The Large Cap Pharmaceuticals industry currently had an average PEG ratio of 1.67 as of yesterday's close.The Large Cap Pharmaceuticals industry is part of the Medical sector. This group has a Zacks Industry Rank of 31, putting it in the top 13% of all 250+ industries.The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our individual industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within 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.Zacks Names #1 Semiconductor StockIt's only 1/9,000th the size of NVIDIA which skyrocketed more than +800% since we recommended it. NVIDIA is still strong, but our new top chip stock has much more room to boom.With strong earnings growth and an expanding customer base, it's positioned to feed the rampant demand for Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Internet of Things. Global semiconductor manufacturing is projected to explode from $452 billion in 2021 to $803 billion by 2028.See This Stock Now for Free >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK): Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks