Merck (NYSE: MRK) Stock: Analysts Raise Price Target and Maintain Outperform Rating

• Scotiabank raised its price target for Merck to $155.00 from $136.00, maintaining an "Outperform" rating.
• The wider analyst community, including Zacks Investment Research, gives Merck an average brokerage recommendation of 1.73, indicating a strong "Buy" consensus.
• Merck's stock recently achieved a new 52-week high of $129.69, reflecting positive market sentiment and strong performance.

Merck (NYSE: MRK) is a global pharmaceutical company that discovers, develops, and manufactures a wide range of medicines and vaccines. As a major player in the healthcare industry, the company holds a significant market capitalization of approximately $320.16 billion, reflecting its large scale and market presence.

Analyst firm Scotiabank shows confidence in Merck, raising its price target to $155.00 from a previous $136.00 on June 29, 2026. The firm maintained its "Outperform" rating, which suggests it expects the stock to perform better than the overall market average. At the time, the stock price was $129.57.

This positive view is shared by the wider analyst community. As highlighted by Zacks Investment Research, Merck has an average brokerage recommendation of 1.73. This rating is on a scale from 1 (Strong Buy) to 5 (Strong Sell), placing the consensus between a Strong Buy and a Buy.

The strong rating comes from 30 brokerage firms, with 18 issuing a "Strong Buy" and two a "Buy." This sentiment is reflected in the stock's performance, which recently hit a new 52-week high of $129.69. The stock's lowest point in the past year was $76.66.

Merck was also featured in top analyst research calls, as highlighted by 24/7 Wall St. This attention came during a broad market sell-off, particularly in technology stocks. The stock traded at $129.63, an increase of 0.75% for the day, with a volume of about 5.18 million shares.