Con il tuo consenso utilizziamo analisi limitate e rispettose della privacy per capire quali percorsi di ricerca funzionano. Non usiamo tracker pubblicitari né registrazioni delle sessioni. Puoi modificare questa scelta nelle Preferenze. Leggi la Informativa sulla privacy.
Quote this valuation with its source: Fair value, Potential value and the price at analysis.
FAQ
MRK — frequently asked questions
Is Merck & Co., Inc. overvalued?
In our latest published analysis dated 2026-09-08, MRK screens modestly overvalued. The price recorded at analysis is 150 USD versus our fair value of 141 USD; the high endpoint is presented separately as potential value of 279 USD. That implies roughly 6.0% downside to fair value at that date.
Our latest published report, analyzed 2026-09-08, gives MRK a fair value of 141 USD and a potential value of 279 USD. The conclusion is triangulated across multiple valuation models and weighted by reliability for Merck & Co., Inc.'s archetype; it is a dated research output, not a live price.
Should I buy MRK now?
Our latest published rating for MRK, analyzed 2026-09-08, is Hold. Merck & Co., Inc. screens modestly overvalued at the analysis-date price of 150 USD versus fair value of 141 USD; potential value is 279 USD. This is research for educational purposes, not personalized investment advice.
What are the biggest risks for MRK?
The dedicated bear-case section in our report analyzed 2026-09-08 documents Merck & Co., Inc.'s material risks, evidence, thresholds, and thesis-invalidation conditions. Scenario-specific explanations remain in that section so the report does not repeat or decontextualize them elsewhere.
What is MRK's rating?
Our latest published rating for MRK, analyzed 2026-09-08, is Hold, with a published moat assessment of 1/10 (None). It reflects our fair value of 141 USD, the potential value of 279 USD, and the price recorded at analysis (150 USD).
The clearest upside path is FY2027 revenue near $70.30 billion and EPS near $9.54, supported by fewer shares outstanding.1,3
Cycle upside
A favorable demand cycle would appear if Merck reaches its dated FY2027 revenue forecast and peers maintain growth without forcing pricing concessions.1
Evidence-backed thesis
Hold because the report-date price is above Fair value and the earnings recovery still needs proof.3
Raccomandazione interna
Hold because the report-date price is above Fair value and the earnings recovery still needs proof.3
Panoramica dell’azienda
The Pharmaceutical segment includes human health pharmaceutical and vaccine products. Human health pharmaceutical products consist of therapeutic and preventive agents, generally sold by prescription, for the treatment of human disorders.
The Company sells these human health pharmaceutical products primarily to drug wholesalers and retailers, hospitals, government agencies, and managed health care providers such as health maintenance organizations, pharmacy benefit managers and other institutions.
§2 Scenario ribassistaEN
A combined earnings miss, weaker cash backing and valuation compression would reduce profit durability, shareholder distributions and the price investors pay for future earnings.
Merck has no validated structural moat in the supplied evidence. Profit and cash generation are business outcomes, not proof of switching costs, scale advantages or protected distribution.
The mixed peer set is useful for growth and valuation comparisons. Its members have different margins and growth rates, while the evidence does not establish product-level market-share transfer.
Profitto economico
FY2025 profit and positive cash generation show valuable operations, but they do not establish a lasting barrier against competition.4
The highlighted cell is Fair value when every assumption sits at its base level ($141.37). Each row and column shows what Fair value becomes when one assumption moves.
Free cash flow to the firm stays positive in the first projected year at $21.1B after modeled capex of $4.1B, with terminal value at 67.7% of enterprise value. A sudden drop in free cash flow is not projected unless capital spending relative to revenue, reinvestment, or gross margin resets materially.
FY2027 revenue and EPS remain near their dated analyst means.1
Growth fades after FY2027 rather than extending the rebound rate.
Revenue recovery continues, margins normalize and per-share results receive modest support from a lower share count. Later growth remains measured rather than accelerating.3
FY2027 revenue and EPS reach the stronger portions of their dated ranges.
§7 Albero decisionale degli utiliEN
Superato
Hold the position and reassess whether the improvement can persist.
Trigger: Revenue and EPS exceed their dated ranges without weaker cash backing.1
Stronger revenue and margins would improve the earnings base.
In linea
Hold the position and continue monitoring the recovery.
Trigger: FY2027 revenue and EPS remain within dated ranges.1
Meeting forecasts would confirm recovery, not lasting acceleration.
Mancato
Reduce exposure if earnings and cash weaken together.
Trigger: FY2027 EPS falls below its dated range or cash backing breaches its stated boundary.
That combination would undermine profit durability and distributions.
Qualità degli utili
Cash backing remains supportive, but disagreement between forensic accounting observations argues for continued verification rather than treating reported profit as unquestioned.
FY2025 operating cash gave substantial support to reported profit, although conflicting forensic evidence warrants continued verification.
Allocazione del capitale
Shares outstanding were 2.467 billion on 2026-09-08, below the FY2025 diluted average of 2.507 billion. Continued per-share gains depend on funding repurchases without raising leverage.
Ponte dei flussi di cassaCome il flusso di cassa operativo è diventato flusso di cassa libero nel FY2025.
StockMarketAgent.AI
Riconciliazione del flusso operativo
Utile netto18,3 Mld USDAmmortamenti e svalutazioni+5,8 Mld USDCompensi basati su azioni+820 Mln USDAltre rettifiche operative−8,4 Mld USDFlusso di cassa operativo16,5 Mld USD
Riconciliazione della liquidità iniziale e finale
Liquidità iniziale13,3 Mld USDFlusso di cassa operativo+16,5 Mld USDFlusso da investimenti−13,7 Mld USDFlusso da finanziamenti−1,9 Mld USDEffetto dei tassi di cambio+563 Mln USDLiquidità finale14,7 Mld USD
Merck & Co. Inc. (MRK) trades at 15.7x forward earnings against a peer median of 12.5x. Its EV/EBITDA of 14.5x compares with a peer median of 11.8x. The comparison uses 4 peers: AbbVie Inc., Pfizer Inc., Gilead Sciences Inc. and Sanofi, as of 2026-07-26 to 2026-09-08.
§10 Settore e cicloEN
Fase del ciclo
Contraction
The pharmaceutical industry benchmark shows capital spending at 1.1% of revenue and 0.8 times depreciation, as of and retrieved 2026-09-01.
Ciclo rialzista
A favorable demand cycle would appear if Merck reaches its dated FY2027 revenue forecast and peers maintain growth without forcing pricing concessions.
Ciclo ribassista
A weaker cycle would combine slower issuer growth with peer outgrowth and lower valuation benchmarks, pressuring sales, margins and the value assigned to future earnings.
Trend secolari
Trend
Impatto
Nota
Low-single-digit issuer growth
neutral
Dated annual forecasts support expansion through FY2027, but later growth depends on extrapolation rather than another dated demand anchor.
Broad-pharma growth dispersion
negative
Comparable revenue growth ranges from 2.6% to 10.2%, increasing execution and valuation pressure on a slower-growing issuer.
Posizionamento
Merck is positioned for moderate recovery rather than industry-leading growth. Sustained margins and cash-funded shareholder returns must offset faster peer growth.1
§11 Gestione della posizioneEN
Dimensionamento
No new target percentage is prescribed; maintain the existing allocation. The report-date price of $150.33 is above Fair value of $141.37, while the valuation range remains wide.3
Rischio
Keep exposure unchanged unless valuation improves and the earnings floor holds. Reduce on either the EPS or cash-funding breach.
Tranche di ingresso
Livello
Azione
Perché
At or below Fair value, with FY2027 diluted EPS remaining at or above $8.41
Reassess the Hold; do not add automatically.
A lower valuation must coincide with evidence that the earnings floor and cash funding remain intact.
Not every cited input appears here: internal calculations and intermediate model outputs have no external record, and some citations could not be matched to one.
If the forward price-to-earnings ratio falls below 12.8 times within 24 months, investors would pay less for each dollar of expected earnings.
FV impact
-4%
Terminal multiple 20% lower
Trigger
Within 24 months
Stagnation would stop the operating base from expanding, limiting fixed-cost absorption and weakening later profit, cash generation and value per share.
Attuale:FY2027 analyst revenue mean of $70.30 billion, as of and retrieved 2026-09-08.
Avviso seFY2028–FY2030 average consolidated revenue growth below 0%.
03
Cash backing per profit dollar
Lower cash backing for reported profit would weaken dividend coverage, debt reduction and the ability of earnings to fund shareholder returns.
Attuale:FY2025 produced $0.90 of operating cash for each $1.00 of reported profit.
Avviso seBelow $0.80 within 12 months.
04
Forward earnings valuation
Compression would reduce what investors pay for each dollar of expected profit, even if the business still posts modest revenue growth.
Attuale:15.72 times next-twelve-month earnings as of and retrieved 2026-09-08.
Avviso seBelow 12.8 times within 24 months.
05
Debt relative to cash
Persistently high debt would redirect cash toward interest and repayment, leaving less for dividends, repurchases and future per-share growth.
Attuale:FY2025 debt was $50.53 billion and cash was $14.57 billion; both were retrieved 2026-09-08.
Avviso seFY2027 debt remains at or above the FY2025 level while cash generation weakens.
Limitation: Terminal value is 67.7% of this model's value, above the 60% level at which the methodology flags concentration; the value leans on the years beyond the explicit forecast.
Limitation: Terminal value is 81% of this model's value, above the 60% level at which the methodology flags concentration; the value leans on the years beyond the explicit forecast.
Cash continues funding distributions without additional leverage.3
Upside persists if growth and margins last beyond the rebound. It fades if stronger results require more investment or debt than operating cash can fund.
The forecast range remains wide.
Perché è importante
The rebound must establish a durable earnings base.1