Analysts Give Merck & Co. a Moderate Buy Rating

Merck & Co., Inc.'s (NYSE:MRK) stock has received an average recommendation of 'Moderate Buy' from 22 analysts covering the company, according to Marketbeat.com. Among them, seven have given a hold rating and fifteen have issued a buy rating.

The average one-year price target among brokers who have reported on the stock is $135.50. Several analysts have raised their price targets for MRK, with Scotiabank lifting its target from $136 to $155 and Wells Fargo & Company boosting its target from $145 to $150.

Recently, Daiwa Securities upgraded MRK from 'neutral' to 'outperform' and set a price target of $143. The company's pipeline progress and business-development activity have contributed to the increased valuations.