Short interest for Merck & Co gives investors a sense of the degree to which investors are betting on the decline of Merck & Co's stock. Short interest data is updated every two weeks.

Merck & Co Stock (NYSE:MRK), Short Interest Report

Merck & Co

Merck makes pharmaceutical products to treat several conditions in a number of therapeutic areas, including cardiometabolic disease, cancer, and infections. Within cancer, the firm's immuno-oncology platform is growing as a major contributor to overall sales. The company also has a substantial vaccine business, with treatments to prevent pediatric diseases as well as human papillomavirus, or HPV. Additionally, Merck sells animal health-related drugs. From a geographical perspective, just under half of the company's sales are generated in the United States.

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With the earnings season now halfway through, the percentage of S&amp;P 500 companies reporting positive earnings surprises and the magnitude of earnings surprises were above their 10-year averages.

Will Earnings Cheer Continue To Buoy Markets? Apple, Amazon, Pfizer, Coinbase Lead Flurry Of Q1 Reports This Week

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Wall Street suffers a double blow in Thursday’s session, as softer-than-expected revenue forecasts from Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META) are being compounded by weaker-than-expected economic growth and higher inflationary pressures last quarter, raising fears of a stagflation phase 

Stocks Drop, Tech Tumbles With Meta&#39;s Weak Outlook, Q1 Stagflation Fears; Gold Miners Advance: What&#39;s Driving Markets Thursday?

Merck & Co Inc

Marker Therapeutics Inc

Late-breaker Phase 3 STRIDE-10 trial presented as an oral presentation at European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
Results build on the data supporting the clinical profile of V116 for adults

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Merck Announces Data For V116, Investigational, 21-Valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine Specifically Designed For Adults

Corporate <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/04/38471231/strong-quarterly-earnings-fuel-market-optimism-despite-inflation-concerns-slowing-economic-growt">earnings came to the market&#8217;s rescue in the past week,</a> helping to overcome rate fears. As we look ahead to the unfolding week, it remains to be seen whether the tech earnings deluge can keep the rally&#8217;s momentum going. 
The Week That Was: High-profile Magnificent Seven earnings panned out mostly positively for the market, with Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) the outlier. The social media giant&#8217;s stock fell sharply as traders fretted over the soft second-quarter revenue guidance and the company&#8217;s massive AI investment plans. 
Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) managed to appease the Street despite the double miss as it held out the promise of an expeditious launch of a more affordable EV. 
With the earnings season now halfway through, the percentage of S&amp;P 500 companies reporting positive earnings surprises and the magnitude of earnings surprises were above their 10-year averages, <a href="https://insight.factset.com/sp-500-earnings-season-update-april-26-2024?utm_source=Direct&amp;utm_medium=Email&amp;utm_campaign=FO-04-26-2024&amp;utm_content=httpsinsightfactsetcomsp500earningsseasonupdateapril262024">said </a>FactSet in a report.
The blended first-quarter earnings growth of S&amp;P 500 companies is estimated at 3.5%, up from the 0.6% growth estimated in the week ended April 19, the financial data analytics firm said. If the trend holds, the S&amp;P 500 companies are on track to report earnings growth for the third straight quarter.
Of the 11 S&amp;P sector classes, eight sectors reported year-over-year earnings growth, led by communication services, utilities, IT, and consumer discretionary sectors. On the other hand, healthcare, energy, and materials have reported year-over-year earnings declines.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/best-tech-stocks">Best Tech Stocks Right Now</a>
Look Ahead: The unfolding week will see 175 S&amp;P 500 companies and 6 Dow 30 components releasing their quarterly scorecards. The earnings roster includes two Magnificent Seven companies, namely Apple, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) and Amazon, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>), e-commerce retailers, payment processors, restaurants, and energy and REIT companies.
Earnings from Apple and Amazon could be market-moving, given the weighting of these stocks in the S&amp;P 500 Index. Also, Apple is considered a bellwether, given its exposure to consumers. Morgan Stanley&#8217;s Erik Woodring expects Apple to report a slightly beat but guide June quarter revenue down. 
Investors are likely to keep a close eye on performance in China, Apple&#8217;s updated capital return framework, and capital expenditures, the analyst said.
That said, the analyst is positive on the stock ahead of its annual Worldwide Developers&#8217; Conference due on June 10th. &#8220;With Apple&#8217;s biggest WWDC event on June 10th, we&#8217;d buy post-earnings weakness,&#8221; he said.
Amazon will likely continue to report double-digit sales and profit growth in the first quarter, according to Telsey Advisory Group analyst Joseph Feldman. The analyst premised his optimism on the strength of online spending, gains from expanded merchandise and faster fulfillment, and stabilization (and growth) of AWS. 
&#8220;Importantly, we expect [a] greater focus on profits supported by the growth of higher margin categories and services, such as advertising, media, and AWS (partly helped by AI-related upgrades), the redesigned distribution network&#8230;.. and cost savings,&#8221; he said.
Notable among the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/calendars/earnings">companies reporting earnings this week</a> are:
Monday 
<ul>
<li>Before the bell: JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JKS#NYSE">JKS</a>), ON Semiconductor Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ON#NASDAQ">ON</a>), Koninklijke Philips N.V. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PHG#NYSE">PHG</a>), SoFi Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SOFI#NASDAQ">SOFI</a>)</li>
<li>After the close: F5, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FFIV#NASDAQ">FFIV</a>), Everest Group, Ltd. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/EG#NYSE">EG</a>), NXP Semiconductors N.V. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NXPI#NASDAQ">NXPI</a>), Lattice Semiconductor Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LSCC#NASDAQ">LSCC</a>), MicroStrategy Incorporated (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSTR#NASDAQ">MSTR</a>), Paramount Global (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PARA#NASDAQ">PARA</a>), Qiagen N.V. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QGEN#NYSE">QGEN</a>), Rambus Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RMBS#NASDAQ">RMBS</a>), Sanmina Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SANM#NASDAQ">SANM</a>), Yum China Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/YUMC#NYSE">YUMC</a>)</li>
</ul>
Tuesday 
<ul>
<li>Before the bell: 3M Company (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MMM#NYSE">MMM</a>), Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ADM#NYSE">ADM</a>), The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KO#NYSE">KO</a>), Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LLY#NYSE">LLY</a>), GE HealthCare Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GEHC#NASDAQ">GEHC</a>), McDonald&#8217;s Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MCD#NYSE">MCD</a>), Molson Coors Beverage Company (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TAP#NYSE">TAP</a>), PayPal Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PYPL#NASDAQ">PYPL</a>), Tenet Healthcare Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/THC#NYSE">THC</a>)</li>
<li>After the close: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMD#NASDAQ">AMD</a>), Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>), ONEOK, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/OKE#NYSE">OKE</a>), Pinterest, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PINS#NYSE">PINS</a>), Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SBUX#NASDAQ">SBUX</a>), Skyworks Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SWKS#NASDAQ">SWKS</a>), Unum Group (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UNM#NYSE">UNM</a>). Super Micro Computer, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SMCI#NASDAQ">SMCI</a>), Stryker Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SYK#NYSE">SYK</a>), RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RNR#NYSE">RNR</a>), Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PRU#NYSE">PRU</a>), Diamondback Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FANG#NASDAQ">FANG</a>), The Clorox Company (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CLX#NYSE">CLX</a>), Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CHK#NASDAQ">CHK</a>)</li>
</ul>

Wednesday 
<ul>
<li>Before the bell: Bausch + Lomb Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BLCO#NYSE">BLCO</a>), CVS Health Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CVS#NYSE">CVS</a>), DuPont de Nemours, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DD#NYSE">DD</a>), The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/EL#NYSE">EL</a>), Garmin Ltd. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GRMN#NYSE">GRMN</a>), GSK plc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GSK#NYSE">GSK</a>), The Kraft Heinz Company (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KHC#NASDAQ">KHC</a>), KKR &amp; Co. Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KKR#NYSE">KKR</a>), Logitech International S.A. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LOGI#NASDAQ">LOGI</a>), Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MA#NYSE">MA</a>), Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NCLH#NYSE">NCLH</a>), Pfizer, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PFE#NYSE">PFE</a>), Wingstop Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WING#NASDAQ">WING</a>), Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/YUM#NYSE">YUM</a>)</li>
<li>After the close: Albemarle Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ALB#NYSE">ALB</a>), The Allstate Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ALL#NYSE">ALL</a>), Beazer Homes USA, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BZH#NYSE">BZH</a>), C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CHRW#NASDAQ">CHRW</a>), Devon Energy Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DVN#NYSE">DVN</a>), eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/EBAY#NASDAQ">EBAY</a>), Etsy, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ETSY#NASDAQ">ETSY</a>), First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FSLR#NASDAQ">FSLR</a>), Freshworks Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FRSH#NASDAQ">FRSH</a>), Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KLIC#NASDAQ">KLIC</a>), Marathon Oil Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MRO#NYSE">MRO</a>), MetLife, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MET#NYSE">MET</a>), MGM Resorts International (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MGM#NYSE">MGM</a>), NETGEAR, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NTGR#NASDAQ">NTGR</a>), Qorvo, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QRVO#NASDAQ">QRVO</a>), Sunnova Energy International Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NOVA#NYSE">NOVA</a>), Upwork Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UPWK#NASDAQ">UPWK</a>), Wolfspeed, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WOLF#NYSE">WOLF</a>), Zillow Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ZG#NASDAQ">ZG</a>)</li>
</ul>
Thursday 
<ul>
<li>Before the bell: ArcelorMittal S.A. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MT#NYSE">MT</a>), ConocoPhillips (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/COP#NYSE">COP</a>), CyberArk Software Ltd. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CYBR#NASDAQ">CYBR</a>), Ferrari N.V. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RACE#NYSE">RACE</a>), Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ICE#NYSE">ICE</a>), Kimco Realty Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KIM#NYSE">KIM</a>), Moderna, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MRNA#NASDAQ">MRNA</a>), PENN Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PENN#NASDAQ">PENN</a>), Wayfair Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/W#NYSE">W</a>), Zoetis Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ZTS#NYSE">ZTS</a>)</li>
<li>After the close: Amgen, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMGN#NASDAQ">AMGN</a>), Apple, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>), BigBear.ai Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BBAI#NYSE">BBAI</a>), BJ&#8217;s Restaurants, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BJRI#NASDAQ">BJRI</a>), Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BKNG#NASDAQ">BKNG</a>), Cloudflare, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NET#NYSE">NET</a>), Coinbase Global, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/COIN#NASDAQ">COIN</a>), Consolidated Edison, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ED#NYSE">ED</a>), DraftKings Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DKNG#NASDAQ">DKNG</a>), Five9, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FIVN#NASDAQ">FIVN</a>), Expedia Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/EXPE#NASDAQ">EXPE</a>), Illumina, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ILMN#NASDAQ">ILMN</a>), Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LYV#NYSE">LYV</a>), United States Steel Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/X#NYSE">X</a>), Regency Centers Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/REG#NASDAQ">REG</a>), Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RGA#NYSE">RGA</a>), Pioneer Natural Resources Company (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PXD#NYSE">PXD</a>), Opendoor Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/OPEN#NASDAQ">OPEN</a>), Monster Beverage Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MNST#NASDAQ">MNST</a>)</li>
</ul>
Friday 
<ul>
<li>Before the bell: American Axle &amp; Manufacturing Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AXL#NYSE">AXL</a>), Cboe Global Markets, Inc. (CBOE: CBOE), Fluor Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FLR#NYSE">FLR</a>), The Hershey Company (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HSY#NYSE">HSY</a>), Owens &amp; Minor, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/OMI#NYSE">OMI</a>), XPO, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XPO#NYSE">XPO</a>)</li>
</ul>
The SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>), an exchange-traded fund that tracks the performance of the broader S&amp;P 500 Index, ended Friday&#8217;s session up 0.95% at $508.26, according to <a href="https://benzinga.grsm.io/lxquj26b2sag">Benzinga Pro data. </a>The ETF has pulled back from its all-time high (intraday) of $524.61 hit on March 28. The Invesco QQQ Trust (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>), an ETF levered more to high-profile, non-financial tech stocks, rose 1.54% to $431.
Read Next: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/earnings-misses/24/04/38464570/us-energy-stocks-fall-following-oil-giants-subdued-earnings-reports">US Energy Stocks Fall Following Oil Giants&#8217; Subdued Earnings Reports</a>

Truist Securities analyst Robyn Karnauskas maintains Merck &amp; Co (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MRK#NYSE">MRK</a>) with a Buy and raises the price target from $142 to $143.

Price Target

Analyst Ratings

Truist Securities Maintains Buy on Merck & Co, Raises Price Target to $143

The CNN Money Fear and Greed index showed a slight improvement in the overall market sentiment, while the index remained in the &#8220;Fear&#8221; zone on Thursday.
U.S. stocks settled lower on Thursday, following the release of economic reports.
The U.S. economy grew an annualized 1.6% in the first quarter, marking a notable slowdown from the 3.4% rate in the final quarter of 2023. However, analysts were expecting a 2.5% growth. The core price index for personal consumption expenditures increased by an annualized 3.7% in the first quarter versus a 2% gain in the prior three-month period.
Merck &amp; Co., Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MRK#NYSE">MRK</a>) reported better-than-expected first-quarter financial results and raised its 2024 guidance. Shares of Bristol Myers Squibb &amp; Co (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BMY#NYSE">BMY</a>) fell more than 8% on Thursday after the company swung to a loss in the first quarter. Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) shares dipped over 10% after reporting first-quarter results.
Most sectors on the S&amp;P 500 closed on a negative note, with communication services, health care and real estate stocks recording the biggest losses on Thursday. However, materials and emergy stocks bucked the overall market trend, closing the session higher.
The Dow Jones closed lower by around 375 points to 38,085.80 on Thursday. The S&amp;P 500 fell 0.46% at 5,048.42, while the Nasdaq Composite dipped 0.64% at 15,611.76 during Wednesday's session.
Investors are awaiting earnings results from Phillips 66 (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PSX#NYSE">PSX</a>), Chevron Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CVX#NYSE">CVX</a>) and Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XOM#NYSE">XOM</a>) today.
At a current reading of 40.2, the index remained in the &#8220;Fear&#8221; zone on Thursday, versus a prior reading of 39.1.
What is CNN Business Fear &amp; Greed Index?
The Fear &amp; Greed Index is a measure of the current market sentiment. It is based on the premise that higher fear exerts pressure on stock prices, while higher greed has the opposite effect. The index is calculated based on seven equal-weighted indicators. The index ranges from 0 to 100, where 0 represents maximum fear and 100 signals maximum greediness.
Check This Out: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/04/38430578/top-3-financial-stocks-that-could-sink-your-portfolio-this-quarter">Top 3 Financial Stocks That Could Sink Your Portfolio This Quarter</a>

Wall Street suffers a double blow in Thursday&#8217;s session, as softer-than-expected revenue forecasts from Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) are being compounded by weaker-than-expected economic growth and higher inflationary pressures last quarter, raising fears of a stagflation phase <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/04/38434513/us-growth-slows-in-q1-yet-inflation-acceleration-signals-stagflation-the-worst-poss">for the U.S. economy.</a>
The U.S. economy grew by a 1.6% annualized pace in Q1 2024, slowing down sharply from the 3.4% pace in the previous quarter and missing expectations of a growth rate of 2.5%. Inflation, as measured by the Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE) price index, substantially accelerated from a 1.8% to 3.4% annualized pace, with the underlying measure of core PCE escalating to 3.7%. 
The elite group of Magnificent Seven stocks <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/04/38436183/magnificent-7-tumble-wipe-out-300-billion-on-metas-weak-guidance-q1-stagflation-woes">wiped out nearly $300 billion in market value</a> earlier this morning, prior to marginally curbing losses by 1 p.m. in New York. 
The S&amp;P 500 and the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 dropped by 1% and 1.2% respectively, while blue chips in the Dow Jones Industrial Average slightly underperformed, declining by 1.4%. 
Meta Platforms experienced a double-digit decline, pulling down both the tech index and the communication services sector, which saw its worst day since late October 2023.
Only a few industries managed to notch gains, with gold miners in the spotlight following stronger-than-expected quarterly results by Newmont Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NEM#NYSE">NEM</a>). The VanEck Gold Miners ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GDX#NYSE">GDX</a>) rose 2.7%. 
Gold also saw an increase, rising by 0.7%, outperforming both stocks and bonds amid growing signals of stagflation from the economy. Crude oil inched lower, with the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) light crude down 0.4% to $82 a barrel. 
Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) held steady around $64,500. 
In the bond market, Treasury yields surged, with the policy-sensitive 2-year yields rising to 5% as traders further dialed back expectations of Fed rate cuts. 
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Thursday&#8217;s Performance In Major US Indices, ETFs</h3>
<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Major Indices</td>
<td>Price</td>
<td>1-day %chg</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>S&amp;P 500</td>
<td>5,026.87</td>
<td>-0.9%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Russell 2000</td>
<td>1,975.61</td>
<td>-1.0%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Nasdaq 100</td>
<td>17,333.65</td>
<td>-1.1%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dow Jones</td>
<td>37,923.49</td>
<td>-1.4%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Updated at 12:55 p.m. EDT </figcaption></figure>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Thursday&#8217;s Stock Movers</h3>
<ul>
<li>Meta Platforms tanked 11% – its worst performance since October 2022 – despite beating both earnings and revenue forecasts last quarter, as weaker-than-expected guidance disappointed traders.</li>
<li>Other companies reacting to earnings were International Business Machines Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IBM#NASDAQ">IBM</a>) down 9%, Service Now Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NOW#NYSE">NOW</a>) down 5%, Lam Research Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LRCX#NASDAQ">LRCX</a>) up 2.9%, Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CMG#NYSE">CMG</a>) up 5.4%, Ford Motor Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/F#NYSE">F</a>) down 1.6%, United Rentals Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/URI#NYSE">URI</a>) up 5.5%, with all of them reporting Wednesday after the close. </li>
<li>Reporting Thursday in the pre-market, Merck &amp; Company Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MRK#NYSE">MRK</a>) up 2.5%, Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CAT#NYSE">CAT</a>) down 6.6%, Comcast Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CMCSA#NASDAQ">CMCSA</a>) down 6%, Union Pacific Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UNP#NYSE">UNP</a>) up 4.3%, S&amp;P Global Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPGI#NYSE">SPGI</a>) flat, Honeywell International Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HON#NASDAQ">HON</a>), down 1.4%, Southern Copper Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SCCO#NYSE">SCCO</a>) up 1.7%, Altria Group Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MO#NYSE">MO</a>) up 1%, Valero Energy Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VLO#NYSE">VLO</a>) down 0.5%, Carrier Global Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CARR#NYSE">CARR</a>) up 8% and Astrazeneca plc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AZN#NASDAQ">AZN</a>) up 5.7%. </li>
<li>Notable names reporting after the close include Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) , Boyd Gaming Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BYD#NYSE">BYD</a>), Capital One Financial Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/COF#NYSE">COF</a>), Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GILD#NASDAQ">GILD</a>), Intel Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/INTC#NASDAQ">INTC</a>), Juniper Networks, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JNPR#NYSE">JNPR</a>), KLA Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KLAC#NASDAQ">KLAC</a>), Microsoft Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NYSE">MSFT</a>), Roku, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ROKU#NASDAQ">ROKU</a>), Teladoc Health, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TDOC#NYSE">TDOC</a>), T-Mobile US, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TMUS#NASDAQ">TMUS</a>) and Western Digital Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WDC#NASDAQ">WDC</a>).</li>
</ul>
Read now: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/economics/macro-economic-events/24/04/38438240/feds-inflation-report-looms-this-friday-what-makes-it-so-crucial-for-markets">Fed&#8217;s Inflation Report Looms This Friday: What Makes It So Crucial For Markets?</a>
Photo: Shutterstock

Stocks Drop, Tech Tumbles With Meta's Weak Outlook, Q1 Stagflation Fears; Gold Miners Advance: What's Driving Markets Thursday?

On Thursday, U.S. drug maker Merck &amp; Co Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MRK#NYSE">MRK</a>) reported first-quarter sales of $15.8 billion, up 9% year-over-year, beating the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/calendars/earnings" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">consensus estimate of $15.2 billion</a>.
Excluding the impact of foreign exchange, sales increased 24%.
Merck reported adjusted EPS of $2.07, up 48%Y/Y, beating the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/24/04/b38425080/merck-announces-first-quarter-2024-financial-results" rel="noreferrer noopener">consensus of $1.88</a>.
Merck&#8217;s pharmaceutical unit booked&nbsp;$14.01 billion&nbsp;in revenue during the first quarter, up 10% Y/Y.
Related:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/biotech/24/03/37958211/mercks-11b-bet-pays-as-fda-approves-sotatercept-for-rare-lung-disease" rel="noreferrer noopener">Merck&#8217;s $11B Bet Pays As FDA Approves Sotatercept For Rare Lung Disease</a>.
Merck&#8217;s blockbuster cancer immunotherapy Keytruda largely drove the growth. Keytruda generated&nbsp;$6.95 billion&nbsp;in revenue during the quarter, up 20% from the year-earlier period.&nbsp;
Merck has become dependent on Keytruda for more than 40% of company&nbsp;sales&nbsp;and faces a revenue hit when&nbsp;Keytruda&#8217;s&nbsp;main U.S. patent expires in 2028.
Merck also reported a 14% jump in sales of Gardasil to $2.25 billion, a vaccine that prevents cancer from HPV, the most common sexually transmitted infection in the U.S.
Merck&#8217;s Januvia drew&nbsp;$670 million&nbsp;in sales, down 24%, primarily due to lower drug pricing, falling demand in the U.S., and generic competition in several international markets.
Januvia is one of 10 drugs targeted in ongoing&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/biotech/23/08/34087337/biden-targets-cancer-diabetes-drugs-in-controversial-medicare-price-battle-wants-to-cut-billions-" rel="noreferrer noopener">Medicare drug price negotiations</a>.
Guidance:&nbsp;Merck raised and narrowed its full-year 2024 revenue and adjusted earnings forecasts.&nbsp;
The company now expects 2024 sales of $63.1 billion-$64.3 billion,&nbsp;up&nbsp;from previous guidance of $62.7 to $64.2 billion compared to the consensus of&nbsp;$63.82 billion.
The company expects 2024 adjusted EPS of&nbsp;$8.53-$8.65, compared to prior&nbsp;guidance&nbsp;of&nbsp;$8.44-$8.59&nbsp;and the consensus of&nbsp;$8.56.
That outlook includes a one-time charge of roughly&nbsp;26 cents per share&nbsp;related to Merck&#8217;s&nbsp;acquisition&nbsp;of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/biotech/24/01/36535176/today-is-cancer-focused-deals-day-johnson-johnson-scoops-up-ambrx-biopharma-as-merck-boosts-cance" rel="noreferrer noopener">Harpoon Therapeutics in January</a>. The guidance also includes a negative impact of&nbsp;30 cents per share&nbsp;from foreign exchange changes.&nbsp;
Read Next:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/03/37966217/the-most-important-catalyst-for-mercks-stock-in-2024-could-be-sotatercept-launch-an" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Most Important Catalyst For Merck&#8217;s Stock In 2024 Could Be Sotatercept Launch, Analyst Says</a>.
Price Action:&nbsp;MRK shares are up 2.26% at $129.88&nbsp;at&nbsp;the last check Thursday.
Photo via Company

Merck Stock Gains On Its Blockbuster Cancer Drug Keytruda, Raises Annual Outlook

U.S. stocks traded lower midway through trading, with the Nasdaq Composite falling by around 250 points on Thursday.
The Dow traded down 1.55% to 37,864.79 while the NASDAQ fell 1.60% to 15,460.95. The S&amp;P 500 also fell, dropping, 1.16% to 5,012.94.
Check This Out: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/24/04/38428592/how-to-earn-500-a-month-from-t-mobile-us-stock-ahead-of-q1-earnings-report">How To Earn $500 A Month From T-Mobile US Stock Ahead Of Q1 Earnings Report</a>
Leading and Lagging Sectors Energy shares fell by just 0.2% on Thursday.
In trading on Thursday, communication services shares dipped by 5.3%.
Top Headline
Merck &amp; Co., Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MRK#NYSE">MRK</a>) reported better-than-expected first-quarter financial results and raised its 2024 guidance.
Merck posted adjusted earnings of $2.07 per share, beating market estimates of $1.88 per share. The company's sales came in at $15.775 billion versus expectations of $15.196 billion.
Equities Trading UP                        
<ul>
<li>Impinj, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PI#NASDAQ">PI</a>) shares shot up 17% to $141.91 after reporting better-than-expected first-quarter financial results.</li>
<li>Shares of Ultralife Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ULBI#NASDAQ">ULBI</a>) got a boost, surging 18% to $10.33 after the company reported better-than-expected quarterly financial results.</li>
<li>Processa Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PCSA#NASDAQ">PCSA</a>) shares were also up, gaining 52% to $2.4550 after HC Wainwright &amp; Co initiated coverage on the stock with a Buy rating and announced an $8 price target.</li>
</ul>
Equities Trading DOWN
<ul>
<li>ATN International, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ATNI#NASDAQ">ATNI</a>) shares dropped 30% to $20.12 as the company posted weak quarterly sales and slashed FY24 revenue forecast.</li>
<li>Shares of Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HTZ#NASDAQ">HTZ</a>) were down 24% to $4.4250 after the company mixed first-quarter financial results.</li>
<li>Orion Group Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ORN#NYSE">ORN</a>) was down, falling 20% to $6.38 following weak quarterly sales.</li>
</ul>
Also Check This Out: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/04/38429948/meta-platforms-to-rally-around-14-here-are-10-top-analyst-forecasts-for-thursday">Meta Platforms To Rally Around 14%? Here Are 10 Top Analyst Forecasts For Thursday</a>
Commodities In commodity news, oil traded down 0.7% to $82.26 while gold traded up 0.1% at $2,339.30.
Silver traded up 0.1% to $27.36 on Thursday, while copper rose 2.1% to $4.5525.
Euro zone
European shares were mostly lower today. The eurozone's STOXX 600 fell 0.79%, London's FTSE 100 rose 0.29% while Spain's IBEX 35 Index fell 0.78% The German DAX fell 1.18% French CAC 40 fell 1.18% while Italy's FTSE MIB Index fell 1.07%.
Producer prices in Spain fell 8.2% year-over-year in March compared to a revised 8.5% decline in February. The GfK Consumer Climate Indicator for Germany climbed to -24.2 heading into May versus a revised reading of -27.3 in the prior period. UK's car production fell 27.1% to 59,467 units for March.
Asia Pacific Markets
Asian markets closed mostly higher on Thursday, with Japan's Nikkei 225 falling 2.16%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index gaining 0.48%, China's Shanghai Composite climbing 0.27% and India's S&amp;P BSE Sensex gaining 0.66%.
Hong Kong's trade deficit increased to $45.0 billion in March from $40.6 billion in the year-ago month. The index of leading economic indicators in Japan came in unchanged at 111.8 in February, while index of coincident economic indicators was revised higher to 111.6 in February versus a flash reading of 110.9.
Economics
<ul>
<li>U.S. initial jobless claims declined by 5,000 to 207,000 in the week ending April 20, compared to market estimates of 214,000.</li>
<li>The U.S. economy grew an annualized 1.6% in the first quarter, marking a notable slowdown from the 3.4% rate in the final quarter of 2023. However, analysts were expecting a 2.5% growth.</li>
<li>U.S. wholesale inventories fell by 0.4% month-over-month in March compared to a revised 0.4% gain in February.</li>
<li>Pending home sales in the U.S. climbed by 3.4% month-over-month in March.</li>
<li>The core price index for personal consumption expenditures increased by an annualized 3.7% in the first quarter versus a 2% gain in the prior three-month period.</li>
<li>The EIA said US natural-gas supplies rose 92 billion cubic feet during the week ended April 19.</li>
</ul>
Now Read This:<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/04/38429015/jim-cramer-youre-dice-rolling-with-this-biopharma-stock-but-vista-energy-is-a-good-situation"> Jim Cramer: You&#8217;re &#8216;Dice Rolling&#8217; With This Biopharma Stock, But Vista Energy Is &#8216;A Good Situation&#8217;</a>

Eurozone

Intraday Update

ATNI

PCSA

ULBI

S&P 500 Down Over 1%; Merck Increases 2024 Outlook

To gain an edge, this is what you need to know today.
<img alt="" src="https://thearorareport.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/2024-04-25_08h09_40.png" style="height:349px; width:624px" />
<h3>The Power Of Market Mechanics</h3>
Please <a href="https://thearorareport.com/stock-market-chart-analysis-meta-tesla-earnings-meta-mc-04252024">click here </a>for an enlarged&nbsp;chart of Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/meta#NASDAQ">META</a>).
Note the following:
<ul>
<li>This article is about the big picture, not an individual stock.&nbsp;The chart of META stock is being used to illustrate the point.</li>
<li>The chart shows a gap down in META on earnings.</li>
<li>The chart shows an island reversal.&nbsp;An island reversal is a negative pattern.</li>
<li>RSI on the chart shows that META is now oversold.</li>
<li>As full disclosure, META is part of The Arora Report&#39;s ZYX Buy Model Portfolio, and long-time&nbsp;members&nbsp;are long META from $49.92. Reference the chart for when the Arora signal was given to hedge or take partial profits right close to the top before the big drop in the stock.</li>
<li>Meta reported excellent earnings, better than the consensus and whisper numbers.&nbsp;Why is META stock down?&nbsp;The popular narrative is that the stock is down due to AI spending and Mark Zuckerberg&rsquo;s comment that AI spending will not produce immediate profits.&nbsp; With the exception of momo gurus who do not do objective analysis, non-momo analysts know that AI spending is not going to produce immediate profits.</li>
<li>Yesterday, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/24/04/38408710/musk-lifts-sentiment-in-entire-stock-market-by-saying-a-regular-car-is-like-riding-a-horse">we highlighted</a> that Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/tsla#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) reported terrible numbers, but the stock jumped up on heavy AI spending on the prospect of future returns from AI spending.&nbsp;Please see <a href="https://blog.thearorareport.com/musk-042424/">yesterday&rsquo;s Morning Capsule</a> for details.&nbsp;For your convenience, <a href="https://thearorareport.com/stock-market-chart-analysis-musk-lifts-sentiment-tsla-mc-04242024">click here </a>for an enlarged&nbsp;chart of Tesla that was included in yesterday&rsquo;s Morning Capsule.&nbsp;For the sake of full transparency, this chart has not been changed.</li>
<li>Here is an important learning moment for investors.&nbsp;Why did TSLA stock jump 12% on bad numbers and heavy AI spending?&nbsp; Why did META stock fall 15% on excellent numbers and heavy AI spending? The real answer is Wall Street&rsquo;s positioning.
<ul>
<li>Going into TSLA earnings, Wall Street&rsquo;s positioning was very negative.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Going into META earnings, Wall Street&rsquo;s positioning was extremely positive.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
<li>Positioning often causes contrary moves.&nbsp;If you can fully grasp this one point of Wall Street mechanics, it will make a huge difference in the amount of money you extract out of the markets.&nbsp;Due to their high value, Wall Street professionals keep the secrets of Wall Street mechanics close to their chest. &nbsp;</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Here are three notable earnings impacting the sentiment in the stock market:
<ul>
<li>IBM Common Stock (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ibm#NYSE">IBM</a>) stock had been running up on AI excitement.&nbsp;IBM reported earnings less than the whisper numbers.&nbsp;IBM stock has fallen about 10%. As a full disclosure, The Arora Report&#39;s ZYX Short took a short position in IBM and had a nice profit in a matter of minutes.&nbsp; Partial profits have already been taken.</li>
<li>Construction machinery maker Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/cat#NYSE">CAT</a>) reported earnings worse than whisper numbers.</li>
<li>Pharmaceutical company Merck &amp; Co Inc (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/mrk#NYSE">MRK</a>) reported earnings better than whisper numbers.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Today, there will be an auction of $44B of seven year Treasuries.&nbsp;We will be carefully watching the results.</li>
<li>In contrast to the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/24/04/38408710/musk-lifts-sentiment-in-entire-stock-market-by-saying-a-regular-car-is-like-riding-a-horse">prior two year auction</a>,&nbsp;yesterday&rsquo;s record auction of $70B of five year Treasuries was poor but not a canary in the coal mine.&nbsp;Here are the details:
<ul>
<li>High yield: 4.659% (When-Issued: 4.655%)</li>
<li>Bid-to-cover: 2.39</li>
<li>Indirect bid: 65.7%</li>
<li>Direct bid: 19.2%</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Initial jobless claims came at 207K vs. 217K consensus.</li>
<li>In The Arora Report analysis, the just released Q1 GDP indicates stagflation may be coming.&nbsp;Here are the details:
<ul>
<li>GDP-Adv came at 1.6% vs. 2.4% consensus.</li>
<li>Price index came at 3.1% vs. 3.0% consensus.</li>
<li>Core price index came at 3.7% vs. 3.4% consensus.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Magnificent Seven Money Flows</h3>
In the early trade, money flows are negative in Apple Inc (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/aapl#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>), Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/amzn#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>), Alphabet Inc Class C (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/goog#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>), META, Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/msft#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>), NVIDIA Corp (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/nvda#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>), and TSLA.
In the early trade, money flows are negative in SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (ARCA:SPY) and Invesco QQQ Trust Series 1 (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/qqq#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>).
<h3>Momo Crowd And Smart Money In Stocks</h3>
The momo crowd is buying stocks in the early trade.&nbsp;Smart money is selling stocks in the early trade.
<h3>Gold</h3>
The momo crowd is like a yoyo in gold in the early trade.&nbsp;Smart money is inactive in the early trade.
For longer-term, please see gold and silver ratings.
The most popular ETF for gold is SPDR Gold Trust (ARCA:GLD). The most popular ETF for silver is iShares Silver Trust (ARCA:SLV).&nbsp;
<h3>Oil</h3>
The momo crowd is like a yoyo in oil in the early trade.&nbsp;Smart money is inactive in the early trade.
For longer-term, please see oil ratings.
The most popular ETF for oil is United States Oil ETF (ARCA:USO).
<h3>Bitcoin</h3>
Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) is seeing selling.
<h3>Protection Band And What To Do Now</h3>
It is important for investors to look ahead and not in the rearview mirror.
Consider continuing to hold good, very long term, existing positions. Based on individual risk preference, consider a protection band consisting of cash or Treasury bills or short-term tactical trades as well as short to medium term hedges and short term hedges. This is a good way to protect yourself and participate in the upside at the same time.
You can determine your protection bands by adding cash to hedges.&nbsp;The high band of the protection is appropriate for those who are older or conservative. The low band of the protection is appropriate for those who are younger or aggressive.&nbsp;If you do not hedge, the total cash level should be more than stated above but significantly less than cash plus hedges.
It is worth reminding that you cannot take advantage of new upcoming opportunities if you are not holding enough cash.&nbsp;When adjusting hedge levels, consider adjusting partial stop quantities for stock positions (non ETF); consider using wider stops on remaining quantities and also allowing more room for high beta stocks.&nbsp;High beta stocks are the ones that move more than the market.
<h3>Traditional 60/40 Portfolio</h3>
Probability based risk reward adjusted for inflation does not favor long duration strategic bond allocation at this time.
Those who want to stick to traditional 60% allocation to stocks and 40% to bonds may consider focusing on only high quality bonds and bonds of seven year duration or less.&nbsp;Those willing to bring sophistication to their investing may consider using bond ETFs as tactical positions and not strategic positions at this time.
The Arora Report is known for its accurate calls. The Arora Report correctly called the big artificial intelligence rally before anyone else, the new bull market of 2023, the bear market of 2022, new stock market highs right after the virus low in 2020, the virus drop in 2020, the DJIA rally to 30,000 when it was trading at 16,000, the start of a mega bull market in 2009, and the financial crash of 2008. Please click here to sign up for a free forever <a href="https://thearorareport.com/generate-wealth-newsletter">Generate Wealth Newsletter</a>.
This article is from an unpaid external contributor. It does not represent Benzinga&#39;s reporting and has not been edited for content or accuracy.

GOOG

NVDA

TSLA

Meta Falls 15% On Great Earnings, Tesla Rises 12% On Ugly Earnings – Here Is The Real Reason

WIIM

Merck shares are trading higher after the company reported better-than-expected Q1 financial results and raised its 2024 guidance.

Guidance

Health Care

Merck Forecasts 2024 Adjusted EPS Of $8.53-$8.65 Versus Prior Guidance Of $8.44-$8.59 And Consensus Of $8.56

Merck Forecasts 2024 Sales Guidance Of $63.1B-$64.3B Versus Prior Guidance Of $62.7B-$64.2B And Consensus Of $63.82B

Merck &amp; Co (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MRK#NYSE">MRK</a>) reported quarterly earnings of $2.07 per share which beat the analyst consensus estimate of $1.88 by 10.11 percent. This is a 47.86 percent increase over earnings of $1.40 per share from the same period last year. The company reported quarterly sales of $15.775 billion which beat the analyst consensus estimate of $15.196 billion by 3.81 percent. This is a 8.89 percent increase over sales of $14.487 billion the same period last year.

Earnings Beats

Merck & Co Q1 2024 Adj EPS $2.07 Beats $1.88 Estimate, Sales $15.775B Beat $15.196B Estimate

The back-and-forth motion in the market continues, with the index futures pointing to a lower opening on Thursday. Meta Platforms, Inc.&#8217;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/24/04/38416273/meta-platforms-q1-earnings-highlights-facebook-owner-beats-estimates-but-guidance-higher-costs-ding">lukewarm second-quarter revenue guidance </a>and commentary regarding investment punctured the stock, while International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IBM#NYSE">IBM</a>) also fell on earnings. The tech space could come under pressure as traders digest these disappointments.
More tech earnings are on tap on Thursday, led by AI stalwart Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) and Alphabet, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>)
Also weighing down on sentiment would be apprehensions regarding two key data due for the week. The first read of the first-quarter GDP data (Thursday) and the personal income and spending report (Friday), will be in the spotlight as the market strives to make sense of growth and inflation trajectories ahead of next week&#8217;s Federal Reserve&#8217;s monetary policy meeting.
 Futures Performance On Thursday ( as of 5:50 a.m. EDT)
<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Futures</td>
<td>Performance (+/-)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Nasdaq 100</td>
<td>-0.81%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>S&amp;P 500</td>
<td>-0.48%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dow</td>
<td>-0.31%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>R2K</td>
<td>-0.47%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<figcaption class="wp-element-caption"> In <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premarket/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">premarket</a>&nbsp;trading on Thursday, the&nbsp;SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) slipped 0.43% to $503.24,&nbsp;and the&nbsp;Invesco QQQ ETF&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>) fell 0.78% to $423.20, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://benzinga.grsm.io/lxquj26b2sag" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Pro data</a>.</figcaption></figure>
Cues From Past Session:
Early optimism triggered by positive reactions to earnings from Tesla, Inc.&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) and Texas Instruments, Inc.&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TXN#NASDAQ">TXN</a>) tempered over the course of Wednesday&#8217;s session. Mixed earnings reports and economic worries kept sentiment subdued for much of the session, and this led to a mixed close for the day.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite and the S&amp;P 500 Index ended the session marginally higher, pulling notably off the day&#8217;s high reached in early trading. The former moved in a roughly 205-point range and the latter gyrated between 5,047.02 and 5,089.48, a roughly 43-point intra-day move. Nevertheless, the indices have been higher for a third straight session now.
Weighed down by a 2.87% pullback in Boeing Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BA#NYSE">BA</a>) shares following its earnings release, the Dow Jones Industrial Average ended modestly lower. 
<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Index</td>
<td>Performance (+/-)</td>
<td>Value</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Nasdaq Composite</td>
<td>+0.10%</td>
<td>15,712.75</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>S&amp;P 500 Index</td>
<td>+0.02%</td>
<td>5,071.63</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dow Industrials</td>
<td>-0.11%</td>
<td>38,460.92</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Russell 2000</td>
<td>-0.36%</td>
<td>1,995.43</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
Insights From Analysts:
The growth conundrum of whether the economy is going to see a hard or soft landing, has kept investors skewed toward quality stocks, <a href="https://www.morganstanley.com/ideas/thoughts-on-the-market-wilson?subscribed=true&amp;dis=em_2024424_wm_5ideasarticle&amp;et_mid=585156&amp;et_mkid=&amp;sfmc_id=201810710">said </a>Morgan Stanley&#8217;s Chief Equity Strategist Mike Wilson in a podcast. &#8220;The largest risk for stocks more broadly is higher 10-year Treasury yields as investors begin to demand a larger term premium due to higher inflation and the growing supply of bonds to pay for the endless deficits,&#8221; he said.
&#8220;Our primary concern for equities at this point is that aggressive fiscal spending has led to better economic growth but it keeps upward pressure on inflation and prevents the Fed from cutting interest rates that many economic participants desperately need at this point.&#8221;
The analyst recommended investors look into under-appreciated sectors. &#8220;This is all in-line with our 2024 outlook that suggests the major equity indices are overvalued while the best opportunities are likely beneath the surface in underappreciated sectors like energy that are positively levered to stickier inflation and higher interest rates.&#8221;
Fund Strat&#8217;s Tom Lee, however, is optimistic. In his weekly commentary, the analyst noted that the S&amp;P 500 and equities rebounded over the past two days, rising more than 2%. &#8220;The S&amp;P 500 closed solidly above the critical 5,019.20 to 5,070.55. In our view, this is confirmation that the worst of this two-week decline is behind us,&#8221; he said.
Upcoming Economic Data:
The Bureau of Economic Analysis is due to release its<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/etfs/broad-u-s-equity-etfs/24/04/38405106/us-economy-expected-to-grow-2-5-in-q1-not-a-hard-landing-and-hardly-a-soft-one"> first-quarter GDP data (advance estimate) </a>at 8:30 a.m. EDT. Economists, on average, expect the economy to have expanded 2.2%, slower than the 3.4% pace in the fourth quarter. Traders may also keep an eye on the GDP price deflator and the price consumption expenditure index to gauge inflation trends.
The Labor Department will release the customary jobless claims data at 8:30 a.m. EDT. The number of individuals claiming unemployment benefits is expected at 215,000 for the week ended April 20, up slightly from 212,000 in the previous week.
The National Association of Realtors is scheduled to release its pending home sales index for March at 10 a.m. EDT, with consensus calling for an unchanged reading following the 1.6% increase in February.
The Treasury will auction four- and eight-week bills at 11:30 a.m. EDT and seven-year notes at 1 p.m. EDT.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/how-to-trade-futures">How To Trade Futures </a>
Stocks In Focus: 
<ul>
<li>Meta and IBM fell 12.5% and 8.5%, respectively, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premarket">in premarket trading </a>following quarterly earnings announcement.</li>
<li>Other stocks moving on earnings are ServiceNow, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NOW#NYSE">NOW</a>) (down about 4.5%), Teradyne, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TER#NASDAQ">TER</a>) (up over 8%), O&#8217;Reilly Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ORLY#NASDAQ">ORLY</a>) (down 4%), Meritage Homes Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MTH#NYSE">MTH</a>) (up over 12.5%), Ford Motor Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/F#NYSE">F</a>) (up about 2.5%) and Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CMG#NYSE">CMG</a>) (up about 2.5%).</li>
<li>Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MO#NYSE">MO</a>), American Airlines Group Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAL#NASDAQ">AAL</a>), AstraZeneca Plc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AZN#NASDAQ">AZN</a>), Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BMY#NYSE">BMY</a>), Caterpillar, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CAT#NYSE">CAT</a>), CMS Energy Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CMS#NYSE">CMS</a>), Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CMCSA#NASDAQ">CMCSA</a>), Dow Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DOW#NYSE">DOW</a>), Harley-Davidson, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HOG#NYSE">HOG</a>), Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HTZ#NASDAQ">HTZ</a>), Honeywell International Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HON#NASDAQ">HON</a>), Merck &amp; Co., Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MRK#NYSE">MRK</a>), Mobileye Global Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MBLY#NASDAQ">MBLY</a>), Nasdaq, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NDAQ#NASDAQ">NDAQ</a>), Newmont Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NEM#NYSE">NEM</a>), Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RCL#NYSE">RCL</a>), Sanofi (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SNY#NASDAQ">SNY</a>), Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LUV#NYSE">LUV</a>) and STMicroelectronics N.V. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/STM#NYSE">STM</a>) are among the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/calendars/earnings">companies reporting their earnings ahead of the market open.</a></li>
<li>Notable names reporting after the close include Alphabet, Boyd Gaming Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BYD#NYSE">BYD</a>), Capital One Financial Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/COF#NYSE">COF</a>), Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GILD#NASDAQ">GILD</a>), Intel Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/INTC#NASDAQ">INTC</a>), Juniper Networks, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JNPR#NYSE">JNPR</a>), KLA Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KLAC#NASDAQ">KLAC</a>), Microsoft, Roku, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ROKU#NASDAQ">ROKU</a>), Teladoc Health, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TDOC#NYSE">TDOC</a>), T-Mobile US, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TMUS#NASDAQ">TMUS</a>) and Western Digital Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WDC#NASDAQ">WDC</a>).</li>
</ul>
Commodities, Bonds, and Global Equity Markets:
Crude oil futures continued to trade under the $83-a-barrel mark and gold futures were seen consolidating just above the $2,330 level.
The 10-year note yield, held firm around the 4.64% ahead of Friday&#8217;s inflation data.
Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) weakened by about 3.50% and traded shy of the psychological barrier of $64,000.
Most major Asian markets, with the exception of the Chinese, Hong Kong and Indian markets, pulled back, as traders positioned themselves for Friday&#8217;s U.S. inflation data. The Australian and New Zealand markets remained closed for a public holiday.
The European markets fell in early trading, adding to the losses they made on Wednesday. The Euro STOXX 50 Index was down 0.44% at the last check.
Read Next: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/economics/macro-economic-events/24/04/38410454/treasury-yields-reach-5-month-high-lift-mortgage-rates-expert-warns-federal-debt-">Treasury Yields Reach 5-Month High, Lift Mortgage Rates; Expert Warns &#8216;Federal Debt Blob Is Out Of Control&#8217;</a>
Image via Shutterstock

Futures

Economics

Federal Reserve

MBLY

NDAQ

ORLY

US Stocks Brace For Negative Start Amid Tech Earnings Disappointments, Caution Ahead Of Data: 'Worst Of This Two-Week Decline Is Behind Us,' Says Analyst

Wednesday,&nbsp;Immutep Limited&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IMMP#NASDAQ">IMMP</a>)&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.immutep.com/detail/immutep-announces-positive-preliminary-topline-results-from-tacti-003-cohort-b.html" rel="noreferrer noopener">released</a>&nbsp;preliminary topline results from Cohort B of the TACTI-003 (KEYNOTE-PNC-34) Phase IIb trial evaluating&nbsp;eftilagimod&nbsp;alpha (efti) in combination with&nbsp;Merck &amp; Co Inc&#8217;s&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MRK#NYSE">MRK</a>) Keytruda (pembrolizumab) as first-line treatment of recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients (1L HNSCC) with negative PD-L1 expression.
The investigational immuno-oncology combination demonstrates an overall response rate (ORR) of 26.9% and disease control rate (DCR) of 57.7% in 26 patients whose tumors do not express PD-L1, which compares favorably to historical controls.
Martin Forster, TACTI-003 Investigator, stated, &#8220;These preliminary topline results in the first-line setting for patients with head and neck squamous cell cancers that do not express PD-L1 are encouraging.&nbsp;
A total of 33 patients with recurrent or metastatic HNSCC have&nbsp;been enrolled&nbsp;in Cohort B.&nbsp;
The 26 patients reported today represent those currently available with sufficiently long enough follow-up time as per protocol and where the data cleaning has sufficiently progressed at the time of data cut-off in February.&nbsp;
The final number of evaluable patients in Cohort B&nbsp;is expected&nbsp;to be higher, and additional data, including complete response rate, will be released together with Cohort A data.
Concerning the randomized Cohort A of the TACTI-003 trial&nbsp;evaluating&nbsp;the safety and efficacy of efti in combination with Keytruda as compared to Keytruda monotherapy, 138 patients with PD-L1 positive tumors have been enrolled at over 30 centers globally.&nbsp;
Data collection, cleaning, and analysis continue for TACTI-003, and the company expects to report the primary endpoint (overall response rate from Cohorts A &amp; B in H1 CY2024.
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth most common cancer by incidence worldwide, with 890,000 new cases and 450,000 deaths reported in 2018.
Efti has received FDA Fast Track designation in 1L HNSCC regardless of PD-L1 expression.
Last month,&nbsp;Immutep&nbsp;announced safety and initial efficacy data from the first-ever 90mg dosing of&nbsp;eftilagimod&nbsp;alpha (efti) in combination with weekly paclitaxel in patients from the safety lead-in (N=6) of the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/biotech/24/03/37493118/cancer-focused-immuteps-stock-soars-on-tuesday-heres-why" rel="noreferrer noopener">AIPAC-003 Phase 2/3 trial</a>.
Price Action: IMMP shares are up 14.90% at $2.89 at the last check Wednesday.
Photo via Shutterstock

IMMP

Why Australian Cancer Biotech Firm Immutep Stock Is Soaring On Wednesday?

Wall Street analysts forecast that Merck (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/mrk#NYSE">MRK</a>) will report quarterly earnings of $2.01 per share in its upcoming release, pointing to a year-over-year increase of 43.6%. It is anticipated that revenues will amount to $15.34 billion, exhibiting an increase of 5.9% compared to the year-ago quarter.
Over the last 30 days, there has been an upward revision of 7% in the consensus EPS estimate for the quarter, leading to its current level. This signifies the covering analysts&#39; collective reconsideration of their initial forecasts over the course of this timeframe.
Ahead of a company&#39;s earnings disclosure, it is crucial to give due consideration to changes in earnings estimates. These revisions serve as a noteworthy factor in predicting potential investor reactions to the stock. Numerous empirical studies consistently demonstrate a strong relationship between trends in earnings estimate revision and the short-term price performance of a stock.
While investors typically use consensus earnings and revenue estimates as indicators of quarterly business performance, exploring analysts&#39; projections for specific key metrics can offer valuable insights.
With that in mind, let&#39;s delve into the average projections of some Merck metrics that are commonly tracked and projected by analysts on Wall Street.
The average prediction of analysts places &#39;Sales- Oncology- Alliance revenue- Reblozyl&#39; at $68.77 million. The estimate indicates a change of +59.9% from the prior-year quarter.
The consensus estimate for &#39;Sales- Vaccines- Pneumovax&#39; stands at $70.63 million. The estimate points to a change of -26.4% from the year-ago quarter.
The collective assessment of analysts points to an estimated &#39;Sales- Vaccines- ProQuar/M-M-R II/Varivax&#39; of $544.16 million. The estimate suggests a change of +3.1% year over year.
The consensus among analysts is that &#39;Sales- Alliance revenue- Lenvima&#39; will reach $265.43 million. The estimate indicates a year-over-year change of +14.4%.
Analysts predict that the &#39;Sales- Hospital Acute Care- Bridion - U.S.&#39; will reach $301.76 million. The estimate indicates a change of +9.3% from the prior-year quarter.
Analysts&#39; assessment points toward &#39;Product sales- Other revenues - International&#39; reaching $198.07 million. The estimate suggests a change of -7.5% year over year.
Based on the collective assessment of analysts, &#39;Sales- Oncology- Keytruda - U.S.&#39; should arrive at $4.12 billion. The estimate points to a change of +18.2% from the year-ago quarter.
The combined assessment of analysts suggests that &#39;Sales- Hospital Acute Care- Bridion - International&#39; will likely reach $124.70 million. The estimate indicates a year-over-year change of -40.6%.
Analysts expect &#39;Sales- Animal health - International&#39; to come in at $1.05 billion. The estimate indicates a change of +4.2% from the prior-year quarter.
According to the collective judgment of analysts, &#39;Sales- Animal health - U.S.&#39; should come in at $495.47 million. The estimate indicates a year-over-year change of +2.8%.
Analysts forecast &#39;Sales- Vaccines- Pneumovax - International&#39; to reach $42.22 million. The estimate points to a change of -24.6% from the year-ago quarter.
It is projected by analysts that the &#39;Sales- Vaccines- Pneumovax - U.S.&#39; will reach $28.41 million. The estimate points to a change of -29% from the year-ago quarter. 
<a href="https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/2259122/exploring-analyst-estimates-for-merck-mrk-q1-earnings-beyond-revenue-and-eps?cid=CS-BENZ-FT-fundamental_analysis|nfm_preview-2259122">To read this article on Zacks.com click here.</a>

Exploring Analyst Estimates for Merck Q1 Earnings, Beyond Revenue and EPS

In today's rapidly evolving and fiercely competitive business landscape, it is crucial for investors and industry analysts to conduct comprehensive company evaluations. In this article, we will undertake an in-depth industry comparison, assessing Merck &amp; Co (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MRK#NYSE">MRK</a>) alongside its primary competitors in the Pharmaceuticals industry. By meticulously examining crucial financial indicators, market positioning, and growth potential, we aim to provide valuable insights to investors and shed light on company's performance within the industry.
<h3>Merck &amp; Co Background</h3>
Merck makes pharmaceutical products to treat several conditions in a number of therapeutic areas, including cardiometabolic disease, cancer, and infections. Within cancer, the firm's immuno-oncology platform is growing as a major contributor to overall sales. The company also has a substantial vaccine business, with treatments to prevent pediatric diseases as well as human papillomavirus, or HPV. Additionally, Merck sells animal health-related drugs. From a geographical perspective, just under half of the company's sales are generated in the United States.
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Company</th>
<th>P/E</th>
<th>P/B</th>
<th>P/S</th>
<th>ROE</th>
<th>EBITDA (in billions)</th>
<th>Gross Profit (in billions)</th>
<th>Revenue Growth</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Merck &amp; Co Inc</td>
<td>906.71</td>
<td>8.56</td>
<td>5.38</td>
<td>-3.11%</td>
<td>$-0.77</td>
<td>$10.72</td>
<td>5.78%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Eli Lilly and Co</td>
<td>126.09</td>
<td>64.55</td>
<td>19.36</td>
<td>19.91%</td>
<td>$3.03</td>
<td>$7.57</td>
<td>28.1%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Novo Nordisk A/S</td>
<td>47.09</td>
<td>36.71</td>
<td>16.97</td>
<td>22.01%</td>
<td>$28.51</td>
<td>$55.85</td>
<td>36.95%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>AstraZeneca PLC</td>
<td>36.81</td>
<td>5.55</td>
<td>4.78</td>
<td>2.52%</td>
<td>$2.18</td>
<td>$9.72</td>
<td>7.29%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Novartis AG</td>
<td>23.20</td>
<td>4.17</td>
<td>4.26</td>
<td>19.99%</td>
<td>$4.18</td>
<td>$8.75</td>
<td>7.39%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Pfizer Inc</td>
<td>70.97</td>
<td>1.67</td>
<td>2.53</td>
<td>-3.62%</td>
<td>$-1.77</td>
<td>$6.69</td>
<td>-41.34%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Sanofi SA</td>
<td>20.56</td>
<td>1.49</td>
<td>2.39</td>
<td>-0.75%</td>
<td>$0.42</td>
<td>$8.15</td>
<td>6.5%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Bristol-Myers Squibb Co</td>
<td>12.73</td>
<td>3.38</td>
<td>2.27</td>
<td>6.03%</td>
<td>$4.45</td>
<td>$8.73</td>
<td>0.62%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>GSK PLC</td>
<td>13.69</td>
<td>5.02</td>
<td>2.22</td>
<td>2.64%</td>
<td>$1.16</td>
<td>$5.63</td>
<td>9.16%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Zoetis Inc</td>
<td>28.71</td>
<td>13.31</td>
<td>7.87</td>
<td>10.42%</td>
<td>$0.83</td>
<td>$1.49</td>
<td>8.48%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Takeda Pharmaceutical Co Ltd</td>
<td>36.74</td>
<td>0.96</td>
<td>1.57</td>
<td>1.53%</td>
<td>$314.89</td>
<td>$731.71</td>
<td>1.33%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Viatris Inc</td>
<td>225</td>
<td>0.65</td>
<td>0.88</td>
<td>-3.7%</td>
<td>$-0.07</td>
<td>$1.6</td>
<td>-1.0%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dr Reddy's Laboratories Ltd</td>
<td>19.24</td>
<td>3.75</td>
<td>3.70</td>
<td>5.29%</td>
<td>$22.42</td>
<td>$42.2</td>
<td>6.57%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Jazz Pharmaceuticals PLC</td>
<td>17.83</td>
<td>1.81</td>
<td>2.04</td>
<td>2.61%</td>
<td>$0.29</td>
<td>$0.9</td>
<td>4.1%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Average</td>
<td>52.2</td>
<td>11.0</td>
<td>5.45</td>
<td>6.53%</td>
<td>$29.27</td>
<td>$68.38</td>
<td>5.7%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
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 </style>By analyzing Merck &amp; Co, we can infer the following trends: 
<ul>
<li>
The current Price to Earnings ratio of 906.71 is 17.37x higher than the industry average, indicating the stock is priced at a premium level according to the market sentiment.
</li>
<li>
Considering a Price to Book ratio of 8.56, which is well below the industry average by 0.78x, the stock may be undervalued based on its book value compared to its peers.
</li>
<li>
Based on its sales performance, the stock could be deemed undervalued with a Price to Sales ratio of 5.38, which is 0.99x the industry average.
</li>
<li>
The company has a lower Return on Equity (ROE) of -3.11%, which is 9.64% below the industry average. This indicates potential inefficiency in utilizing equity to generate profits, which could be attributed to various factors.
</li>
<li>
Compared to its industry, the company has lower Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization (EBITDA) of $-770 Million, which is -0.03x below the industry average, potentially indicating lower profitability or financial challenges.
</li>
<li>
The gross profit of $10.72 Billion is 0.16x below that of its industry, suggesting potential lower revenue after accounting for production costs.
</li>
<li>
The company is experiencing remarkable revenue growth, with a rate of 5.78%, outperforming the industry average of 5.7%.
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Debt To Equity Ratio</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2024/1713884446_0.png" alt="debt to equity" />
The debt-to-equity (D/E) ratio measures the financial leverage of a company by evaluating its debt relative to its equity.
Considering the debt-to-equity ratio in industry comparisons allows for a concise evaluation of a company's financial health and risk profile, aiding in informed decision-making.
In terms of the Debt-to-Equity ratio, Merck &amp; Co can be assessed by comparing it to its top 4 peers, resulting in the following observations:
<ul>
<li>
Among its top 4 peers, Merck &amp; Co has a stronger financial position with a lower debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93.
</li>
<li>
This indicates that the company relies less on debt financing and maintains a more favorable balance between debt and equity, which can be viewed positively by investors.
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Takeaways</h3>
For Merck &amp; Co in the Pharmaceuticals industry, the PE ratio is high compared to peers, indicating potential overvaluation. The PB and PS ratios are low, suggesting undervaluation relative to industry standards. In terms of ROE, EBITDA, gross profit, and revenue growth, Merck &amp; Co lags behind its competitors, signaling weaker financial performance and growth prospects within the sector.
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

Understanding Merck &amp; Co's Position In Pharmaceuticals Industry Compared To Competitors

Merck &amp; Co's (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MRK#NYSE">MRK</a>) short percent of float has fallen 15.38% since its last report. The company recently reported that it has 19.59 million shares sold short, which is 0.77% of all regular shares that are available for trading. Based on its trading volume, it would take traders 2.01 days to cover their short positions on average.
<h3>Why Short Interest Matters</h3>
Short interest is the number of shares that have been sold short but have not yet been covered or closed out. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/how-to-short-a-stock/">Short selling</a> is when a trader sells shares of a company they do not own, with the hope that the price will fall. Traders make money from short selling if the price of the stock falls and they lose if it rises.
Short interest is important to track because it can act as an indicator of market sentiment towards a particular stock. An increase in short interest can signal that investors have become more bearish, while a decrease in short interest can signal they have become more bullish.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/short-interest">List of the most shorted stocks</a>
<h3>Merck &amp; Co Short Interest Graph (3 Months)</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2024/1713879923_0.png" alt="short_fig" />
As you can see from the chart above the percentage of shares that are sold short for Merck &amp; Co has declined since its last report. This does not mean that the stock is going to rise in the near-term but traders should be aware that less shares are being shorted.
<h3>Comparing Merck &amp; Co's Short Interest Against Its Peers</h3>
Peer comparison is a popular technique amongst analysts and investors for gauging how well a company is performing. A company's peer is another company that has similar characteristics to it, such as industry, size, age, and financial structure. You can find a company's peer group by reading its 10-K, proxy filing, or by doing your own similarity analysis.
According to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/">Benzinga Pro</a>, Merck &amp; Co's peer group average for short interest as a percentage of float is 4.22%, which means the company has less short interest than most of its peers.
Did you know that increasing short interest can actually be bullish for a stock? <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/how-to-make-money-on-a-short-squeeze/">This post by Benzinga Money explains how you can profit from it.</a>
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and was reviewed by an editor.

Short Sellers

Short Ideas

Looking Into Merck & Co's Recent Short Interest

As the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/large-cap/24/04/38342737/nasdaq-100-notches-worst-day-since-late-2023-worst-week-since-late-2022-as-ai-driven-chipmakers-tu">market runs into rough weather,</a> the importance of the upcoming week&#8217;s earnings cannot be emphasized enough. A lot is riding on the earnings reports of companies like Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>), Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>), Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) and Alphabet, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) (GOOG).
The Season So Far: The percentage of S&amp;P 500 companies that have reported positive earning surprises and the magnitude of earnings surprises are at or above their 10-year averages, <a href="https://insight.factset.com/sp-500-earnings-season-update-april-19-2024?utm_source=Direct&amp;utm_medium=Email&amp;utm_campaign=FO-04-19-2024&amp;utm_content=httpsinsightfactsetcomsp500earningsseasonupdateapril192024">said</a> FactSet in its report released Friday. That said, substantial downward revisions to earnings per share (EPS) estimates of two healthcare companies have led to a decline in earnings growth over the past two weeks.
The combined earnings per share growth rate of S&amp;P 500 companies, considering both the already reported actual results and the estimates for those yet to report, is at 0.5%, according to FactSet. The metric, however, fell from the 0.9% estimated previous week and the 3.4% estimated at the end of the first quarter. Earnings growth for the quarter may extend the positive growth streak to three quarters.
So far, 14% of the S&amp;P 500 companies have reported March quarter results. 
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/best-tech-stocks">Best Tech Stocks To Buy Right Now</a>
Look Ahead: The upcoming week will likely feature earnings releases from 158 S&amp;P 500 companies, including 11 Dow 30 components. With the bank earnings tapering off, the spotlight shifts to tech companies, as they begin to roll out their quarterly scorecard this week.
Apart from some big techs, which are part of the group called the &#8220;Magnificent Seven,&#8221; homebuilders, defense contractors, airlines and transportation companies are also due to release their quarterly reports. 
All eyes are focused on Tesla as analysts expect a downbeat report from the company. Analysts see the scope of a further contraction in margin and potentially a double miss yet again in the first quarter.
AI stalwarts Microsoft, Alphabet and Meta are widely expected to report strong results. Following the recent tech-led sell-off, Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives said, &#8220;We believe 1Q earnings will be a major positive catalyst for the tech sector and <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/04/38252477/why-microsoft-alphabet-amazon-palantir-and-meta-could-rise-15-in-2024-according-to-">expect tech stocks to be up another 15% for the year</a> adding to the strong start to 2024.&#8221;
The earnings schedule of key names are as follows:
Monday 
<ul>
<li>Before the bell: Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ACI#NYSE">ACI</a>), Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VZ#NYSE">VZ</a>), Zions Bancorporation, National Association (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ZION#NASDAQ">ZION</a>)</li>
<li>After the close: Ameriprise Financial, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMP#NYSE">AMP</a>), Nucor Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NUE#NYSE">NUE</a>) Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CLF#NYSE">CLF</a>), Packaging Corporation of America (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PKG#NYSE">PKG</a>) and SAP SE (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SAP#NYSE">SAP</a>), Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DGX#NYSE">DGX</a>)</li>
</ul>
Tuesday 
<ul>
<li>Before the bell: D.R. Horton, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DHI#NYSE">DHI</a>), Fiserv, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FI#NYSE">FI</a>), General Electric Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GE#NYSE">GE</a>), General Motors Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GM#NYSE">GM</a>), JetBlue Airways Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JBLU#NASDAQ">JBLU</a>), Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KMB#NYSE">KMB</a>), Novartis AG (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVS#NYSE">NVS</a>), PepsiCo. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PEP#NYSE">PEP</a>), PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PHM#NYSE">PHM</a>), Spotify Technology S.A. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPOT#NYSE">SPOT</a>), United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UPS#NYSE">UPS</a>) and Xerox Holdings Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XRX#NYSE">XRX</a>), Halliburton Company (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HAL#NYSE">HAL</a>) and Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LMT#NYSE">LMT</a>)</li>
<li>After the close: Visa, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/V#NYSE">V</a>), Texas Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TXN#NASDAQ">TXN</a>), Tesla, Steel Dynamics, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/STLD#NASDAQ">STLD</a>), Seagate Technology Holdings plc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/STX#NASDAQ">STX</a>), Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MAT#NASDAQ">MAT</a>), Chubb Limited (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CB#NYSE">CB</a>), Canadian National Railway Company (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CNI#NYSE">CNI</a>) and Baker Hughes Company (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BKR#NASDAQ">BKR</a>)</li>
</ul>
Wednesday 
<ul>
<li>Before the bell: Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TMO#NYSE">TMO</a>), Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ODFL#NASDAQ">ODFL</a>), Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NSC#NYSE">NSC</a>), Humana Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HUM#NYSE">HUM</a>), Hasbro, Inc. (NASDA: HAS), General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GD#NYSE">GD</a>), Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BSX#NYSE">BSX</a>), Biogen, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BIIB#NASDAQ">BIIB</a>) and AT&amp;T Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/T#NYSE">T</a>)</li>
<li>After the close: Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WHR#NYSE">WHR</a>), Western Union Company (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WU#NYSE">WU</a>), ServiceNow, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NOW#NYSE">NOW</a>), QuantumScape Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QS#NYSE">QS</a>), O&#8217;Reilly Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ORLY#NASDAQ">ORLY</a>), Meta Platforms, Meritage Homes Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MTH#NYSE">MTH</a>), Lam Research Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LRCX#NASDAQ">LRCX</a>), Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KNX#NYSE">KNX</a>), International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IBM#NYSE">IBM</a>), Ford Motor Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/F#NYSE">F</a>) and Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CMG#NYSE">CMG</a>)</li>
</ul>
Thursday 
<ul>
<li>Before the bell: Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MO#NYSE">MO</a>), American Airlines Group Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAL#NASDAQ">AAL</a>), AstraZeneca Plc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AZN#NASDAQ">AZN</a>), Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BMY#NYSE">BMY</a>), Caterpillar, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CAT#NYSE">CAT</a>), CMS Energy Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CMS#NYSE">CMS</a>), Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CMCSA#NASDAQ">CMCSA</a>), Dow Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DOW#NYSE">DOW</a>), Harley-Davidson, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HOG#NYSE">HOG</a>), Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HTZ#NASDAQ">HTZ</a>), Honeywell International Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HON#NASDAQ">HON</a>), Merck &amp; Co., Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MRK#NYSE">MRK</a>), Mobileye Global Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MBLY#NASDAQ">MBLY</a>), Nasdaq, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NDAQ#NASDAQ">NDAQ</a>), Newmont Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NEM#NYSE">NEM</a>), Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RCL#NYSE">RCL</a>), Sanofi (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SNY#NASDAQ">SNY</a>), Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LUV#NYSE">LUV</a>) and STMicroelectronics N.V. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/STM#NYSE">STM</a>)</li>
<li>After the close: Alphabet, Boyd Gaming Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BYD#NYSE">BYD</a>), Capital One Financial Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/COF#NYSE">COF</a>), Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GILD#NASDAQ">GILD</a>), Intel Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/INTC#NASDAQ">INTC</a>), Juniper Networks, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JNPR#NYSE">JNPR</a>), KLA Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/KLAC#NASDAQ">KLAC</a>), Microsoft, Roku, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ROKU#NASDAQ">ROKU</a>), Teladoc Health, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TDOC#NYSE">TDOC</a>), T-Mobile US, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TMUS#NASDAQ">TMUS</a>) and Western Digital Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WDC#NASDAQ">WDC</a>)</li>
</ul>
Friday 
<ul>
<li>Before the bell: AbbVie Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ABBV#NYSE">ABBV</a>), Aon plc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AON#NYSE">AON</a>), Autoliv, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ALV#NYSE">ALV</a>), AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AN#NYSE">AN</a>), Barnes Group Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/B#NYSE">B</a>), Charter Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CHTR#NASDAQ">CHTR</a>), Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CL#NYSE">CL</a>), Chevron Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CVX#NYSE">CVX</a>), Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XOM#NYSE">XOM</a>) and Newell Brands Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NWL#NASDAQ">NWL</a>)</li>
</ul>
The SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>), an exchange-traded fund that tracks the performance of the broader S&amp;P 500 Index, ended Friday&#8217;s session down 0.87% at $495.16, according to <a href="https://benzinga.grsm.io/lxquj26b2sag">Benzinga Pro data. </a>The ETF has pulled back from its all-time high (intraday) of $524.61 hit on March 28. The Invesco QQQ Trust (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>), an ETF levered more to high-profile, non-financial tech companies, has lost 7.72% from its all-time intraday high of $449.34 (March 21).
Read Next: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/large-cap/24/04/38342737/nasdaq-100-notches-worst-day-since-late-2023-worst-week-since-late-2022-as-ai-driven-chipmakers-tu">Nvidia In Correction Territory — Did AI-Led Tech Stock Bubble Just Burst? This Data Point Offers A Clue.</a>
Photo: Shutterstock

Analyst Color

ODFL

SPOT

STLD

ZION

Can Magnificent 7 Help Script Market Turnaround? Earnings Pick Up Pace With Microsoft, Meta, Alphabet And Tesla Expected This Week

Merck Says Health Canada Approved KEYTRUDA Combination As First-line Treatment For Adult Patients With Locally Advanced Unresectable Or Metastatic HER2-Negative Gastric Or GEJ Adenocarcinoma

Providing a diverse range of perspectives from bullish to bearish, 17 analysts have published ratings on Merck &amp; Co (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MRK#NYSE">MRK</a>) in the last three months.
The following table provides a quick overview of their recent ratings, highlighting the changing sentiments over the past 30 days and comparing them to the preceding months.
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th></th>
<th style="text-align: right;">Bullish</th>
<th style="text-align: right;">Somewhat Bullish</th>
<th style="text-align: right;">Indifferent</th>
<th style="text-align: right;">Somewhat Bearish</th>
<th style="text-align: right;">Bearish</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Total Ratings</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">4</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">10</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">2</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Last 30D</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">1</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>1M Ago</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">2</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">3</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">1</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2M Ago</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">2</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>3M Ago</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">2</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">4</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">1</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
In the assessment of 12-month price targets, analysts unveil insights for Merck &amp; Co, presenting an average target of $135.35, a high estimate of $148.00, and a low estimate of $104.00. This upward trend is apparent, with the current average reflecting a 2.54% increase from the previous average price target of $132.00.
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2024/1713463271_0.png" alt="price target chart" />
<h2>Decoding Analyst Ratings: A Detailed Look</h2>
In examining recent analyst actions, we gain insights into how financial experts perceive Merck &amp; Co. The following summary outlines key analysts, their recent evaluations, and adjustments to ratings and price targets.
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Analyst</th>
<th>Analyst Firm</th>
<th>Action Taken</th>
<th>Rating</th>
<th>Current Price Target</th>
<th>Prior Price Target</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Louise Chen</td>
<td>Cantor Fitzgerald</td>
<td>Maintains</td>
<td>Overweight</td>
<td>$135.00</td>
<td>-</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Luisa Hector</td>
<td>Berenberg</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Buy</td>
<td>$143.00</td>
<td>$140.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Louise Chen</td>
<td>Cantor Fitzgerald</td>
<td>Maintains</td>
<td>Overweight</td>
<td>$135.00</td>
<td>-</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Louise Chen</td>
<td>Cantor Fitzgerald</td>
<td>Maintains</td>
<td>Overweight</td>
<td>$135.00</td>
<td>-</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Robyn Karnauskas</td>
<td>Truist Securities</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Buy</td>
<td>$142.00</td>
<td>$139.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Louise Chen</td>
<td>Cantor Fitzgerald</td>
<td>Maintains</td>
<td>Overweight</td>
<td>$135.00</td>
<td>-</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Mohit Bansal</td>
<td>Wells Fargo</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Equal-Weight</td>
<td>$135.00</td>
<td>$130.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Justin Smith</td>
<td>Societe Generale</td>
<td>Announces</td>
<td>Sell</td>
<td>$104.00</td>
<td>-</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Louise Chen</td>
<td>Cantor Fitzgerald</td>
<td>Maintains</td>
<td>Overweight</td>
<td>$135.00</td>
<td>-</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Louise Chen</td>
<td>Cantor Fitzgerald</td>
<td>Maintains</td>
<td>Overweight</td>
<td>$135.00</td>
<td>-</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Louise Chen</td>
<td>Cantor Fitzgerald</td>
<td>Maintains</td>
<td>Overweight</td>
<td>$135.00</td>
<td>-</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Louise Chen</td>
<td>Cantor Fitzgerald</td>
<td>Maintains</td>
<td>Overweight</td>
<td>$135.00</td>
<td>-</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Robyn Karnauskas</td>
<td>Truist Securities</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Buy</td>
<td>$139.00</td>
<td>$122.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Colin Bristow</td>
<td>UBS</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Buy</td>
<td>$148.00</td>
<td>$135.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Mohit Bansal</td>
<td>Wells Fargo</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Equal-Weight</td>
<td>$130.00</td>
<td>$125.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Carter Gould</td>
<td>Barclays</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Overweight</td>
<td>$145.00</td>
<td>$135.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Carter Gould</td>
<td>Barclays</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Overweight</td>
<td>$135.00</td>
<td>$130.00</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<h3>Key Insights:</h3>
<ul>
<li>Action Taken: Analysts adapt their recommendations to changing market conditions and company performance. Whether they 'Maintain', 'Raise' or 'Lower' their stance, it reflects their response to recent developments related to Merck &amp; Co. This information provides a snapshot of how analysts perceive the current state of the company.</li>
<li>Rating: Offering a comprehensive view, analysts assess stocks qualitatively, spanning from 'Outperform' to 'Underperform'. These ratings convey expectations for the relative performance of Merck &amp; Co compared to the broader market.</li>
<li>Price Targets: Analysts provide insights into price targets, offering estimates for the future value of Merck &amp; Co's stock. This comparison reveals trends in analysts' expectations over time.</li>
</ul>
To gain a panoramic view of Merck &amp; Co's market performance, explore these analyst evaluations alongside essential financial indicators. Stay informed and make judicious decisions using our Ratings Table.
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/MRK/analyst-ratings?utm_source=Benzinga Insights">Stay up to date on Merck &amp; Co analyst ratings.</a>
<h2>Discovering Merck &amp; Co: A Closer Look</h2>
Merck makes pharmaceutical products to treat several conditions in a number of therapeutic areas, including cardiometabolic disease, cancer, and infections. Within cancer, the firm's immuno-oncology platform is growing as a major contributor to overall sales. The company also has a substantial vaccine business, with treatments to prevent pediatric diseases as well as human papillomavirus, or HPV. Additionally, Merck sells animal health-related drugs. From a geographical perspective, just under half of the company's sales are generated in the United States.
<h3>Merck &amp; Co: A Financial Overview</h3>
Market Capitalization Analysis: Above industry benchmarks, the company's market capitalization emphasizes a noteworthy size, indicative of a strong market presence.
Revenue Growth: Merck &amp; Co's revenue growth over a period of 3 months has been noteworthy. As of 31 December, 2023, the company achieved a revenue growth rate of approximately 5.78%. This indicates a substantial increase in the company's top-line earnings. In comparison to its industry peers, the company trails behind with a growth rate lower than the average among peers in the Health Care sector.
Net Margin: Merck &amp; Co's net margin falls below industry averages, indicating challenges in achieving strong profitability. With a net margin of -8.38%, the company may face hurdles in effective cost management.
Return on Equity (ROE): Merck &amp; Co's ROE lags behind industry averages, suggesting challenges in maximizing returns on equity capital. With an ROE of -3.11%, the company may face hurdles in achieving optimal financial performance.
Return on Assets (ROA): Merck &amp; Co's ROA falls below industry averages, indicating challenges in efficiently utilizing assets. With an ROA of -1.15%, the company may face hurdles in generating optimal returns from its assets.
Debt Management: The company faces challenges in debt management with a debt-to-equity ratio higher than the industry average. With a ratio of 0.93, caution is advised due to increased financial risk.
<h2>Analyst Ratings: What Are They?</h2>
Analysts work in banking and financial systems and typically specialize in reporting for stocks or defined sectors. Analysts may attend company conference calls and meetings, research company financial statements, and communicate with insiders to publish "analyst ratings" for stocks. Analysts typically rate each stock once per quarter.
Analysts may enhance their evaluations by incorporating forecasts for metrics like growth estimates, earnings, and revenue, delivering additional guidance to investors. It is vital to acknowledge that, although experts in stocks and sectors, analysts are human and express their opinions when providing insights.
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

Unveiling 17 Analyst Insights On Merck & Co

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