Merck (MRK) Q1 Earnings: Taking a Look at Key Metrics Versus Estimates

Merck (MRK) reported $16.29 billion in revenue for the quarter ended March 2026, representing a year-over-year increase of 4.9%. EPS of -$1.28 for the same period compares to $2.22 a year ago.The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $15.9 billion, representing a surprise of +2.44%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +15.47%, with the consensus EPS estimate being -$1.51.While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street expectations to determine their next course of action, some key metrics always provide a better insight into a company's underlying performance.Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock's price performance.Here is how Merck performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:Sales- Hospital Acute Care- Bridion - International: $45 million compared to the $41.82 million average estimate based on three analysts. The reported number represents a change of -28.6% year over year.Sales- Vaccines- Gardasil - International: $585 million compared to the $619.92 million average estimate based on three analysts. The reported number represents a change of -26% year over year.Sales- Virology- Isentress - International: $24 million compared to the $31.86 million average estimate based on three analysts. The reported number represents a change of -38.5% year over year.Sales- Diabetes- Janumet - International: $139 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $129.11 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -23.6%.Sales- Vaccines- Vaxneuvance: $202 million versus the four-analyst average estimate of $220.75 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -12.2%.Sales- Oncology- Welireg: $199 million versus the four-analyst average estimate of $192.28 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +45.3%.Sales-Cardiovascular-Winrevair: $525 million versus $474.4 million estimated by four analysts on average.Sales- Oncology- Keytruda: $7.91 billion compared to the $7.73 billion average estimate based on four analysts. The reported number represents a change of +9.7% year over year.Sales- Animal health: $1.79 billion versus $1.67 billion estimated by four analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +12.8% change.Sales- Virology- Lagevrio: $28 million compared to the $61.38 million average estimate based on three analysts. The reported number represents a change of -72.6% year over year.Sales- Oncology- Alliance revenue- Reblozyl: $148 million compared to the $130.56 million average estimate based on three analysts. The reported number represents a change of +24.4% year over year.Sales- Hospital Acute Care- Prevymis: $272 million compared to the $227.99 million average estimate based on three analysts. The reported number represents a change of +30.8% year over year.View all Key Company Metrics for Merck here>>>Shares of Merck have returned -8.2% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +12.2% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.Radical New Technology Could Hand Investors Huge GainsQuantum Computing is the next technological revolution, and it could be even more advanced than AI.While some believed the technology was years away, it is already present and moving fast. Large hyperscalers, such as Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Oracle, and even Meta and Tesla, are scrambling to integrate quantum computing into their infrastructure.Senior Stock Strategist Kevin Cook reveals 7 carefully selected stocks poised to dominate the quantum computing landscape in his report, Beyond AI: The Quantum Leap in Computing Power.Kevin was among the early experts who recognized NVIDIA's enormous potential back in 2016. Now, he has keyed in on what could be "the next big thing" in quantum computing supremacy. Today, you have a rare chance to position your portfolio at the forefront of this opportunity.See Top Quantum Stocks Now >>This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks