Merck (MRK) Tops Quarterly Sales Forecasts as Keytruda Drives Growth

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) is one of the 10 Best Biotech Stocks to Invest In According to Billionaire Steve Cohen.

On April 30, Reuters reported that Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) surpassed first-quarter forecasts, with revenue of $16.3 billion, up 5% and beyond analysts’ $15.8 billion projection as per LSEG data. Keytruda sales went up by 12% to $8 billion, exceeding the $7.6 billion consensus and sending shares up as much as 5% premarket.

The quarter carried a one-time cost, i.e., a $3.62 per share charge for the Cidara Therapeutics buyout, pushing results into net loss territory. Even though the adjusted loss of $1.28 per share still surpassed the $1.51 analysts expected.

Winrevair rose 88% to $525 million, exceeding its $479 million forecast. Gardasil’s sales dropped by 19% to $1.07 billion because demand in China and Japan decreased.

Merck (MRK) Tops Quarterly Sales Forecasts as Keytruda Drives Growth

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CEO Rob Davis said that the company is actively introducing more than 20 new products. The majority of these have blockbuster potential. Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) raised its 2026 earnings forecast to $5.04-$5.16 per share on $65.8-$67 billion in sales. Cantor analyst Carter Gould deemed the revision less persuasive, given the already conservative guidance at the start of the year.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) is a healthcare firm that provides health solutions, vaccines, biologic therapies, animal health, and consumer care products. It operates in pharmaceuticals, animal health, and other segments.

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