Merck & Co., Inc. Upgraded by Daiwa Securities Group with $143 Price Target

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) has received an upgrade from Daiwa Securities Group to an 'outperform' rating, with a price objective of $143.00. This represents a potential upside of 9.71% from the company's current price.

This is not the only positive news for Merck & Co., Inc. recently. Analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on the stock to $140.00 and gave it an 'overweight' rating in a research note on July 13th.

The company has also seen its pipeline progress, with the FDA and European Medicines Agency accepting applications to expand ENFLONSIA for RSV prevention in additional high-risk young children. This could strengthen Merck's vaccine and infectious-disease portfolio and help diversify revenue as Keytruda faces future patent pressure.

However, analysts continue to flag declining estimates and upcoming patent expirations, particularly the long-term risk to Keytruda, Merck's major growth driver. These concerns could limit near-term upside despite pipeline progress.