How to Buy Merck & Co Stock
Merck & Co Inc
Merck & Co is a general drug manufacturer company located in New Jersey, United States, which is part of the Healthcare sector, and is traded under the ticker MRK on the NYSE exchange.
Merck & Co stock last closed at $77.85, down 0.19% from the previous day, and has decreased 38.67% in one year. It has underperformed other stocks in the Drug Manufacturers - General industry by 0.37 percentage points. Merck & Co stock is currently +2.53% from its 52-week low of $75.93, and -42.17% from its 52-week high of $134.63.
As of Apr 21, 2025, there are 2.53B MRK shares outstanding. The market cap of MRK is $196.65B. In the past 24 hours, 10.89M MRK shares were traded.
How to Buy Merck & Co Stock
Not sure how to invest in Merck & Co stock? Here's how.
- Decide where to buy Merck & Co stock: You need to choose an online brokerage, but don't worry - we've researched dozens of online stock brokerages and apps to help you decide where to buy Merck & Co stock.
- Create a brokerage account: Sign up for 0% fee trading with the highest-rated brokerage we've identified.
- Put funds into your brokerage account: Choose your method of payment and add your information.
- Analyze Merck & Co stock: The Merck & Co ticker symbol is MRK. Is Merck & Co stock a good investment? Should you buy shares of MRK? How do MRK's underlying business fundamentals look? Do top analysts think Merck & Co is a good buy? Why has MRK's stock price moved recently? (Hint: Our stock market analysis website can help you figure out if MRK is a good stock to buy).
- Make your MRK trade: Decide if you will purchase MRK shares at the current market price or use a limit order to purchase MRK shares at a given price.
- Track your MRK position: Create a watchlist to watch your new investment in Merck & Co shares.
Step 1: Decide where to buy Merck & Co stock
You need a brokerage account in order to access the NYSE market and buy MRK shares.
Our favorite brokerage: eToro
We believe that eToro is the best brokerage. Here's why:
- You can invest in stocks with 0% commissions: Invest without commissions.
- Buy fractional shares: Even if you don't have the money to buy a full share, you can still purchase the stock.
- Access to global markets: From Tech to Industrials, New York to Hong Kong (for US users, only US stocks are available) — you can fill your portfolio with stocks from the world's top exchanges.
- Social investing: eToro boasts a community with more than 20 million users around the world. Talk to, learn from, and copy the crypto trades of other investors.
- Security: eToro is a regulated and licensed brokerage platform.
- Buy other financial assets: Such as ETFs and cryptos.
Get $10 towards your stock purchase by creating an account with eToro today. This offer is only for US users.
Open eToro AccountStep 2: Create a brokerage account
Now that you've chosen the right brokerage, you need to fill out some personal details so you are able to invest in MRK today.
How to Set Up a New Investment Account on eToro
- Click here to get started.eToro is a multi-asset investment platform. The value of your investments may go up or down. Your capital is at risk.
- Enter your personal data to create your new brokerage account.
- Send your data by hitting the "Create Account" button. Get started with eToro today
Step 3: Put funds into your brokerage account
Now that you've opened your account on the best app for stock investing, you need to deposit funds:
Check out the walkthrough below for more details depositing money into your new brokerage account.
Step 4: Analyze Merck & Co stock
After you have figured out the best place to buy Merck & Co stock, it's critical to research their stock before you buy, so you can comprehend the risk and opportunity.
Merck & Co Numbers
MRK Due Diligence Checks
WallStreetZen was built to help part-time investors do more accurate fundamental analysis quickly.
You can view all of the due diligence checks on MRK's stock page.
Is MRK stock undervalued?
You can use a variety of different financial metrics, analyses, models, and charts to gauge MRK's true value.
Using relative valuations ratios:
- MRK could be undervalued based on its P/E ratio of 11.52x, relative to Drug Manufacturers - General industry P/E ratio of 51.51x
- MRK could be undervalued based on its P/B ratio of 4.25x, relative to Drug Manufacturers - General industry P/B ratio of 5.94x
- MRK could be undervalued based on its PEG ratio of 0.67x
You can do additional valuation research on MRK's stock here.
MRK Financial Overview
Positive Health Checks:
- MRK earnings of $21.19B is not enough to cover its interest payments.
- MRK's operating cash flow of $21.47B allows it to safely service it's debt of $37.11B.
- Total MRK debt is lower than 5 years ago, relative to shareholder equity.
- There are more short-term assets than short-term liabilities on the MRK balance sheet.
- MRK profit margin has gone up from 0.6% to 26.7% in the past year.
Negative Health Checks:
- There are more long-term liabilities than short-term assets on the MRK balance sheet.
- MRK has a relatively high debt to equity ratio of 1.53.
Is Merck & Co stock a Buy, Hold, or Sell, according to analysts?
Out of 11 sell side analysts who give ratings on MRK, the consensus analyst rating on Merck & Co is a Buy
It's important to note that analyst ratings are not stock recommendations, nor are they financial advice.
Latest MRK Analyst Ratings
Terence Flynn, a top 8% analyst from Morgan Stanley maintains MRK with a hold rating and lowers their MRK price target from $113.00 to $106.00, on Feb 5, 2025.
Morgan Stanley's Terence Flynn lowered their price target on Merck & Co (NYSE: MRK) by 6.2% from $113 to $106 on 2025/02/05. The analyst maintained their Hold rating on the stock.
Merck & Co. reported its Q4 and FY 2024 earnings.
Flynn blamed their price target cut on managment's below-consensus FY2025 guidance resulting from weak demand in China for Gardasil demand in China.
On that news, Morgan Stanley reduced its estimates on Merck & Co., but noted that "more broadly, the focus remains on the Keytrudatail/loss of exclusivity and the company's progress with its pipeline efforts."
Earnings Report
Merck & Co. reported
For Q4 2024:
- EPS of $1.72, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.69 and Q4 2023's $0.03.
- Revenue of $15.62B, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $15.56B and was up 7% Y/Y.
For FY 2024:
- EPS of $7.65, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $7.62 and FY 2023's $1.51.
- Revenue of $64.17B, which beat both the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $64.06B and was up 7% Y/Y.
For FY 2025, management guided:
- EPS of $8.88 to $9.03.
- Revenue of $64.1B to $65.6B.
Chairman & CEO Robert M. Davis commented: “We delivered strong growth in 2024, reflecting demand for our innovative portfolio, including for KEYTRUDA, which continues to benefit more patients with cancer globally, the successful launch of WINREVAIR and strong performance of our Animal Health business.
"We’re continuing to progress our pipeline, advance key clinical programs and augment our pipeline through promising business development.
"Our business remains well-positioned thanks to the dedication of our talented global team, and I am more confident than ever in our long-term growth potential.”
Daina Graybosch, a bottom 2% analyst from Leerink Partners maintains MRK with a buy rating and lowers their MRK price target from $136.00 to $119.00, on Jan 13, 2025.
Colin Bristow, a bottom 7% analyst from UBS maintains MRK with a strong buy rating and lowers their MRK price target from $125.00 to $120.00, on Jan 8, 2025.
Robyn Karnauskas, a bottom 16% analyst from Truist Securities downgrades MRK to a hold rating and lowers their MRK price target from $130.00 to $110.00, on Jan 8, 2025.
Seamus Fernandez, a top 21% analyst from Guggenheim maintains MRK with a strong buy rating and lowers their MRK price target from $137.00 to $130.00, on Nov 6, 2024.
You can dig deeper into what analysts are projecting on the Merck & Co stock forecast page.
MRK Trading Indicators
Is MRK Making Money?
Last year, MRK earnings were $17.12B. Over the last five year, MRK's earnings have increased by 11.98% per year. This was faster than the Drug Manufacturers - General industry average of 0.89%.
Last year, MRK revenue was $64.17B. Over the past 5 year, MRK's revenue has grown by 10.4% per year. This was faster than the Drug Manufacturers - General industry average of 9.15%.
You can research MRK's earnings and revenue performance here.
What are MRK executives and large shareholders up to?
In the past year, insiders at MRK have bought more shares than they have sold.
Johannes Jacobus Oosthuizen, President U.S. Market of MRK, was the latest MRK insider to sell. They sold $714,748.00 worth of MRK shares on Feb 19, 2025.
Get more info about who owns MRK stock here.
Does MRK stock generate passive income?
Merck & Co pays a dividend of 4.06%, compared to the Drug Manufacturers - General industry's average dividend yield of 3.51%. If you owned $1,000 of MRK stock, you would have received $40.59 last year.
Merck & Co dividend payments have consistently grown over the past decade and have remained stable.
Dig into more data about Merck & Co dividend yield and history here.
What do other traders have to say about MRK?
One of the biggest reasons eToro is our top-rated brokerage is because of its social trading community.
Click below to find out what other investors have to say.
Step 5: Make your MRK trade
There are two main options:
- Market order: A market order is an order to buy or sell a stock at the best possible price.
Market orders are usually the best for newer investors. - Limit order: A limit order lets you buy or sell a stock at a specific price (or better).
If you want to ensure you're buying or selling at a specific price limit, place a limit order.
Click the Open button and eToro will place the order.
If you need more help buying stocks on eToro, watch the helpful video below:
Step 6: Track your MRK position
Now that you own some shares in MRK, you'll want to stay up-to-date on your stock purchase.
Make a watchlist to track the latest developments regarding your MRK stock.
MRK Feed
How to Buy Stock in Merck & Co
To summarize, here are the 6 steps you need to take to buy Merck & Co stock right now:
- Decide where to buy Merck & Co stock
- Create a brokerage account
- Put funds into your brokerage account
- Analyze Merck & Co stock
- Make your MRK trade
- Track your MRK position
If you need a brokerage account, eToro is our recommended option.
Get Started with eToro TodayIf you want to keep track of your investment in Merck & Co, click the button below.
Related Stock Buying Guides
FAQ
Company
AboutNewsBlogStock Investing FAQPlansPrivacy PolicyTerms of ServiceCancellation & RefundsPerformanceHelp GuidesContactTwitterYouTubeNewsletterInformation is provided 'as-is' and solely for informational purposes and is not advice. WallStreetZen does not bear any responsibility for any losses or damage that may occur as a result of reliance on this data.