Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK): Post-Earnings Performance Questions

The other product that could drive Merck stock higher is Gardasil. The pharma’s HPV vaccine has had a bit of a resurgence, up 61% last quarter, thanks to a push to vaccinate males in addition to females it was originally approved for. The vaccine could certainly help drive revenue higher for a couple more quarters, but don’t expect monster growth to last forever; once the push ends, we’ll move into steady sales dictated by the population growth.

Buy before earnings?
It’s a pharma. A good quarter might send Merck stock up a couple of percentage points. If Merck misses its adjusted earnings, perhaps we see a slight move downward. Either way, it’s not going to matter all that much to the long-term performance of Merck stock.

That is why you’re buying Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) stock, isn’t it? If you own it, there seems to be little reason to sell ahead of earnings, and if Merck stock is on your watchlist, you might as well wait to see the first-quarter results to see if you’d like to be a shareholder.

The article How Will Merck Stock Do After Earnings? originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Brian Orelli.

Fool contributor Brian Orelli has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Johnson & Johnson. The Motley Fool owns shares of Johnson & Johnson.

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