Merck Net Worth
Merck Net Worth Breakdown | MRK |
Merck Net Worth Analysis
Merck's net worth analysis, or its valuation, is the process of determining the total value of the company. This involves assessing a range of factors, including Merck's financial performance, assets, liabilities, and potential for growth. The ultimate goal is to provide a clear understanding of Merck's overall worth, which can help investors make informed investment decisions. There are several methods that can be used to perform Merck's net worth analysis. One common approach is to calculate Merck's market capitalization.Another approach is to use the price-to-earnings ratio (P/E ratio), which compares Merck's stock price to its earnings per share (EPS). Discounted cash flow (DCF) analysis is another popular method for assessing Merck's net worth. This approach calculates the present value of Merck's future cash flows, taking into account factors such as growth rate, profitability, and risk. By comparing the present value of Merck's cash flows to its current stock price, investors can gain a better understanding of the company's overall value. Finally, investors may use comparable company analysis to evaluate Merck's net worth. This involves comparing Merck's financial metrics to similar companies in the same industry. By identifying companies with similar financial characteristics, investors can gain insight into Merck's net worth relative to its peers.
Enterprise Value |
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To determine if Merck is a good investment, evaluating the company's potential for future growth is also very important. This may include expanding into new markets, launching new products or services, or improving operational efficiency. Companies with strong growth prospects can be more attractive investments. This aspect of the research should be conducted in the context of the overall market and industry in which the company operates and should include an analysis of growth potential, competitive landscape, and any regulatory or economic factors that could impact the business. Some of the essential points regarding Merck's net worth research are outlined below:
Merck Company generated a negative expected return over the last 90 days | |
Over 80.0% of the company shares are owned by institutional investors | |
On 8th of January 2025 Merck paid $ 0.81 per share dividend to its current shareholders | |
Latest headline from finance.yahoo.com: Disposition of 13002 shares by Johannes Oosthuizen of Merck subject to Rule 16b-3 |
Merck Quarterly Good Will |
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Merck uses earnings reports to provide investors with an update of all three financial statements, including the income statement, the balance sheet, and the cash flow statement. Therefore, it is also crucial when considering investing in Merck Company. Every quarterly earnings report provides investors with an overview of sales, expenses, and net income for the most recent period. It also may provide a comparison to Merck's previous reporting period. The quarterly earnings reports are usually disseminated to the public via Form 10-Q, which is a legal document filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission every quarter.
25th of April 2024 Upcoming Quarterly Report | View | |
6th of August 2024 Next Financial Report | View | |
31st of March 2024 Next Fiscal Quarter End | View | |
6th of February 2025 Next Fiscal Year End | View | |
31st of December 2023 Last Quarter Report | View | |
31st of December 2023 Last Financial Announcement | View |
Merck Target Price Consensus
Merck target price is determined by taking all analyst projections and averaging them out. There is no one specific way to measure analysts' performance other than comparing it to past results via a very sophisticated attribution analysis. Merck's target price projections below should be used in combination with other traditional price prediction techniques such as stock price forecasting, investor sentiment analysis, technical analysis, earnings estimate, and various momentum models.
28 | Strong Buy |
Most Merck analysts issue ratings four times a year, at intervals of three months. Ratings are usually accompanied by a target price to help potential investors understand Merck stock's fair price compared to its market value. Analysts arrive at stock ratings after researching the public financial statements of Merck Company, talking to its executives and customers, or listening to those companies' conference calls.
Macroaxis Advice Exposure ValuationMerck Target Price Projection
Merck's current and average target prices are 83.01 and 127.73, respectively. The current price of Merck is the price at which Merck Company is currently trading. On the other hand, Merck's target price is what analysts think the stock is worth or could sell for in the future. The more significant the discrepancy between the two prices, the more it stimulates investors to act.Target Price
Analyst Consensus On Merck Target Price
Know Merck's Top Institutional Investors
Have you ever been surprised when a price of an equity instrument such as Merck is soaring high without any particular reason? This is usually happening because many institutional investors are aggressively trading Merck Company backward and forwards among themselves. Merck's institutional investor refers to the entity that pools money to purchase Merck's securities or originate loans. Institutional investors include commercial and private banks, credit unions, insurance companies, pension funds, hedge funds, endowments, and mutual funds. Operating companies that invest excess capital in these types of assets may also be included in the term and may influence corporate governance by exercising voting rights in their investments.
Shares | Legal & General Group Plc | 2024-09-30 | 23.6 M | T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. | 2024-09-30 | 22.5 M | Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc | 2024-12-31 | 20.1 M | Deutsche Bank Ag | 2024-09-30 | 19.6 M | Ubs Asset Mgmt Americas Inc | 2024-09-30 | 17.8 M | Ameriprise Financial Inc | 2024-09-30 | 17.2 M | Royal Bank Of Canada | 2024-09-30 | 16.6 M | Fisher Asset Management, Llc | 2024-12-31 | 16.1 M | Amundi | 2024-09-30 | 16.1 M | Vanguard Group Inc | 2024-09-30 | 249.8 M | Blackrock Inc | 2024-09-30 | 212.1 M |
Follow Merck's market capitalization trends
The company currently falls under 'Mega-Cap' category with a total capitalization of 209.99 B.Market Cap |
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Project Merck's profitablity
Last Reported | Projected for Next Year | ||
Return On Tangible Assets | 0.01 | 0.01 | |
Return On Capital Employed | 0.04 | 0.04 | |
Return On Equity | 0.01 | 0.01 |
When accessing Merck's net worth, it's important to look at multiple sources and consider different scenarios. For example, gross profit margin measures Merck's profitability after accounting for the cost of goods sold, while net profit margin measures profitability after accounting for all expenses. Other important metrics include return on assets, return on equity, and free cash flow. By reviewing multiple sources and metrics, you can gain a complete picture of Merck's profitability and make more informed investment decisions.
Evaluate Merck's management efficiency
Merck Company has Return on Asset of 0.1053 % which means that on every $100 spent on assets, it made $0.1053 of profit. This is way below average. In the same way, it shows a return on shareholders' equity (ROE) of 0.4169 %, implying that it generated $0.4169 on every 100 dollars invested. Merck's management efficiency ratios could be used to measure how well Merck manages its routine affairs as well as how well it operates its assets and liabilities. The value of Return On Tangible Assets is estimated to slide to 0.01. The value of Return On Capital Employed is expected to slide to 0.04. At this time, Merck's Total Current Liabilities is quite stable compared to the past year. Liabilities And Stockholders Equity is expected to rise to about 128.8 B this year, although the value of Change To Liabilities will most likely fall to (476.3 M).Last Reported | Projected for Next Year | ||
Book Value Per Share | 12.99 | 7.78 | |
Tangible Book Value Per Share | (0.69) | (0.66) | |
Enterprise Value Over EBITDA | 40.87 | 42.91 | |
Price Book Value Ratio | 8.70 | 6.92 | |
Enterprise Value Multiple | 40.87 | 42.91 | |
Price Fair Value | 8.70 | 6.92 | |
Enterprise Value | 282.3 B | 296.4 B |
The strategic initiatives led by Merck's management are central to its market success. By analyzing these initiatives, we provide a clear picture of the stock's growth prospects.
Enterprise Value Revenue 3.6392 | Revenue | Quarterly Revenue Growth 0.068 | Revenue Per Share | Return On Equity |
Some recent studies suggest that insider trading raises the cost of capital for securities issuers and decreases overall economic growth. Trading by specific Merck insiders, such as employees or executives, is commonly permitted as long as it does not rely on Merck's material information that is not in the public domain. Local jurisdictions usually require such trading to be reported in order to monitor insider transactions. In many U.S. states, trading conducted by corporate officers, key employees, directors, or significant shareholders must be reported to the regulator or publicly disclosed, usually within a few business days of the trade. In these cases Merck insiders are required to file a Form 4 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) when buying or selling shares of their own companies.
Chirfi Guindo over two weeks ago Acquisition by Chirfi Guindo of 28158 shares of Merck at 97.94 subject to Rule 16b-3 | ||
Smart Dalton over six months ago Disposition of 612 shares by Smart Dalton of Merck subject to Rule 16b-3 | ||
Smart Dalton over six months ago Disposition of 381 shares by Smart Dalton of Merck subject to Rule 16b-3 | ||
Smart Dalton over six months ago Disposition of 6224 shares by Smart Dalton of Merck at 117.89 subject to Rule 16b-3 | ||
Smart Dalton over six months ago Disposition of 6224 shares by Smart Dalton of Merck at 117.89 subject to Rule 16b-3 | ||
Peter Wendell over a year ago Merck exotic insider transaction detected | ||
Peter Wendell over a year ago Acquisition by Peter Wendell of 270 shares of Merck subject to Rule 16b-3 |
Merck Corporate Filings
14th of February 2025 Other Reports | ViewVerify | |
F4 | 13th of February 2025 The report filed by a party regarding the acquisition or disposition of a company's common stock, as well as derivative securities such as options, warrants, and convertible securities | ViewVerify |
8K | 4th of February 2025 Report filed with the SEC to announce major events that shareholders should know about | ViewVerify |
3rd of February 2025 Other Reports | ViewVerify |
Merck Earnings Estimation Breakdown
The calculation of Merck's earning per share is based on the data from the past 12 consecutive months, used for reporting the company's financial figures. The next projected EPS of Merck is estimated to be 2.1278 with the future projection ranging from a low of 1.96 to a high of 2.25. Please be aware that this consensus of annual earnings estimates for Merck Company is based on EPS before non-recurring items and includes expenses related to employee stock options.Last Reported EPS
1.96 Lowest | Expected EPS | 2.25 Highest |
Merck Earnings Projection Consensus
Suppose the current estimates of Merck's value are higher than the current market price of the Merck stock. In this case, investors may conclude that Merck is overpriced and will exhibit bullish sentiment. On the other hand, if the present value is lower than the stock price, analysts may conclude that the market undervalues the equity. These scenarios may suggest that the market is not as efficient as it should be at the estimation time, and Merck's stock will quickly adjusts to the new information provided by the consensus estimate.
Number of Analysts | Historical Accuracy | Last Reported EPS | Estimated EPS for 31st of March 2025 | Current EPS (TTM) | |
27 | 89.63% | 1.72 | 2.1278 | 6.74 |
Merck Earnings History
Earnings estimate consensus by Merck Company analysts from Wall Street is used by the market to judge Merck's stock performance. Investors also use these earnings estimates to evaluate and project the stock performance into the future in order to make their investment decisions. However, we recommend analyzing not only Merck's upcoming profit reports and earnings-per-share forecasts but also comparing them to our different valuation methods.Merck Quarterly Gross Profit |
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Merck Earnings per Share Projection vs Actual
Actual Earning per Share of Merck refers to what the company shows during its earnings calls or quarterly reports. The Expected EPS is what analysts covering Merck Company predict the company's earnings will be in the future. The higher the earnings per share of Merck, the better is its profitability. While calculating the Earning per Share, we use the weighted ratio, as the number of shares outstanding can change over time.Merck Estimated Months Earnings per Share
For an investor who is primarily interested in generating an income out of investing in entities such as Merck, the EPS ratio can tell if the company is intending to increase its current dividend. Although EPS is an essential tool for investors, it should not be used in isolation. EPS of Merck should always be considered in relation to other companies to make a more educated investment decision.Merck Quarterly Analyst Estimates and Surprise Metrics
Earnings surprises can significantly impact Merck's stock price both in the short term and over time. Negative earnings surprises usually result in a price decline. However, it has been seen that positive earnings surprises lead to an immediate rise in a stock's price and a gradual increase over time. This is why we often hear news about some companies beating earning projections. Financial analysts spend a large amount of time predicting earnings per share (EPS) along with other important future indicators. Many analysts use forecasting models, management guidance, and additional fundamental information to derive an EPS estimate.
Reported | Fiscal Date | Estimated EPS | Reported EPS | Surprise | |||
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2025-02-04 | 2024-12-31 | 1.6651 | 1.72 | 0.0549 | 3 | ||
2024-10-31 | 2024-09-30 | 1.5 | 1.57 | 0.07 | 4 | ||
2024-07-30 | 2024-06-30 | 2.15 | 2.28 | 0.13 | 6 | ||
2024-04-25 | 2024-03-31 | 1.88 | 2.07 | 0.19 | 10 | ||
2024-02-01 | 2023-12-31 | -0.11 | 0.03 | 0.14 | 127 | ||
2023-10-26 | 2023-09-30 | 1.95 | 2.13 | 0.18 | 9 | ||
2023-08-01 | 2023-06-30 | -2.18 | -2.06 | 0.12 | 5 | ||
2023-04-27 | 2023-03-31 | 1.32 | 1.4 | 0.08 | 6 | ||
2023-02-02 | 2022-12-31 | 1.54 | 1.62 | 0.08 | 5 | ||
2022-10-27 | 2022-09-30 | 1.71 | 1.85 | 0.14 | 8 | ||
2022-07-28 | 2022-06-30 | 1.7 | 1.87 | 0.17 | 10 | ||
2022-04-28 | 2022-03-31 | 1.83 | 2.14 | 0.31 | 16 | ||
2022-02-03 | 2021-12-31 | 1.53 | 1.8 | 0.27 | 17 | ||
2021-10-28 | 2021-09-30 | 1.55 | 1.75 | 0.2 | 12 | ||
2021-07-29 | 2021-06-30 | 1.31 | 1.31 | 0.0 | 0 | ||
2021-04-29 | 2021-03-31 | 1.63 | 1.4 | -0.23 | 14 | ||
2021-02-04 | 2020-12-31 | 1.38 | 1.32 | -0.06 | 4 | ||
2020-10-27 | 2020-09-30 | 1.44 | 1.74 | 0.3 | 20 | ||
2020-07-31 | 2020-06-30 | 1.04 | 1.37 | 0.33 | 31 | ||
2020-04-28 | 2020-03-31 | 1.34 | 1.5 | 0.16 | 11 | ||
2020-02-05 | 2019-12-31 | 1.15 | 1.16 | 0.01 | 0 | ||
2019-10-29 | 2019-09-30 | 1.24 | 1.51 | 0.27 | 21 | ||
2019-07-30 | 2019-06-30 | 1.16 | 1.3 | 0.14 | 12 | ||
2019-04-30 | 2019-03-31 | 1.06 | 1.22 | 0.16 | 15 | ||
2019-02-01 | 2018-12-31 | 1.03 | 1.04 | 0.01 | 0 | ||
2018-10-25 | 2018-09-30 | 1.14 | 1.19 | 0.05 | 4 | ||
2018-07-27 | 2018-06-30 | 1.03 | 1.06 | 0.03 | 2 | ||
2018-05-01 | 2018-03-31 | 1 | 1.05 | 0.05 | 5 | ||
2018-02-02 | 2017-12-31 | 0.94 | 0.98 | 0.04 | 4 | ||
2017-10-27 | 2017-09-30 | 1.03 | 1.11 | 0.08 | 7 | ||
2017-07-28 | 2017-06-30 | 0.87 | 1.01 | 0.14 | 16 | ||
2017-05-02 | 2017-03-31 | 0.83 | 0.88 | 0.05 | 6 | ||
2017-02-02 | 2016-12-31 | 0.89 | 0.89 | 0.0 | 0 | ||
2016-10-25 | 2016-09-30 | 0.99 | 1.07 | 0.08 | 8 | ||
2016-07-29 | 2016-06-30 | 0.91 | 0.93 | 0.02 | 2 | ||
2016-05-05 | 2016-03-31 | 0.85 | 0.89 | 0.04 | 4 | ||
2016-02-03 | 2015-12-31 | 0.91 | 0.93 | 0.02 | 2 | ||
2015-10-27 | 2015-09-30 | 0.91 | 0.96 | 0.05 | 5 | ||
2015-07-28 | 2015-06-30 | 0.81 | 0.86 | 0.05 | 6 | ||
2015-04-28 | 2015-03-31 | 0.75 | 0.85 | 0.1 | 13 | ||
2015-02-04 | 2014-12-31 | 0.85 | 0.87 | 0.02 | 2 | ||
2014-10-27 | 2014-09-30 | 0.88 | 0.9 | 0.02 | 2 | ||
2014-07-29 | 2014-06-30 | 0.81 | 0.85 | 0.04 | 4 | ||
2014-04-29 | 2014-03-31 | 0.79 | 0.88 | 0.09 | 11 | ||
2014-02-05 | 2013-12-31 | 0.89 | 0.88 | -0.01 | 1 | ||
2013-10-28 | 2013-09-30 | 0.88 | 0.92 | 0.04 | 4 | ||
2013-07-30 | 2013-06-30 | 0.83 | 0.84 | 0.01 | 1 | ||
2013-05-01 | 2013-03-31 | 0.79 | 0.85 | 0.06 | 7 | ||
2013-02-01 | 2012-12-31 | 0.81 | 0.83 | 0.02 | 2 | ||
2012-10-26 | 2012-09-30 | 0.92 | 0.95 | 0.03 | 3 | ||
2012-07-27 | 2012-06-30 | 1.01 | 1.05 | 0.04 | 3 | ||
2012-02-02 | 2011-12-31 | 0.95 | 0.97 | 0.02 | 2 | ||
2011-10-28 | 2011-09-30 | 0.91 | 0.94 | 0.03 | 3 | ||
2011-07-29 | 2011-06-30 | 0.95 | 0.95 | 0.0 | 0 | ||
2011-04-29 | 2011-03-31 | 0.84 | 0.92 | 0.08 | 9 | ||
2011-02-03 | 2010-12-31 | 0.83 | 0.88 | 0.05 | 6 | ||
2010-10-29 | 2010-09-30 | 0.82 | 0.85 | 0.03 | 3 | ||
2010-07-30 | 2010-06-30 | 0.83 | 0.86 | 0.03 | 3 | ||
2010-05-04 | 2010-03-31 | 0.75 | 0.83 | 0.08 | 10 | ||
2010-02-16 | 2009-12-31 | 0.79 | 0.79 | 0.0 | 0 | ||
2009-10-22 | 2009-09-30 | 0.82 | 0.9 | 0.08 | 9 | ||
2009-07-21 | 2009-06-30 | 0.77 | 0.83 | 0.06 | 7 | ||
2009-04-21 | 2009-03-31 | 0.77 | 0.74 | -0.03 | 3 | ||
2009-02-03 | 2008-12-31 | 0.74 | 0.87 | 0.13 | 17 | ||
2008-10-22 | 2008-09-30 | 0.79 | 0.8 | 0.01 | 1 | ||
2008-07-21 | 2008-06-30 | 0.83 | 0.86 | 0.03 | 3 | ||
2008-04-21 | 2008-03-31 | 0.86 | 0.89 | 0.03 | 3 | ||
2008-01-30 | 2007-12-31 | 0.74 | 0.8 | 0.06 | 8 | ||
2007-10-22 | 2007-09-30 | 0.69 | 0.75 | 0.06 | 8 | ||
2007-07-23 | 2007-06-30 | 0.72 | 0.82 | 0.1 | 13 | ||
2007-04-19 | 2007-03-31 | 0.84 | 0.84 | 0.0 | 0 | ||
2007-01-30 | 2006-12-31 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0 | ||
2006-10-20 | 2006-09-30 | 0.5 | 0.51 | 0.01 | 2 | ||
2006-07-24 | 2006-06-30 | 0.65 | 0.73 | 0.08 | 12 | ||
2006-04-20 | 2006-03-31 | 0.72 | 0.78 | 0.06 | 8 | ||
2006-01-31 | 2005-12-31 | 0.62 | 0.64 | 0.02 | 3 | ||
2005-10-24 | 2005-09-30 | 0.62 | 0.65 | 0.03 | 4 | ||
2005-07-21 | 2005-06-30 | 0.62 | 0.62 | 0.0 | 0 | ||
2005-04-21 | 2005-03-31 | 0.59 | 0.62 | 0.03 | 5 | ||
2005-01-25 | 2004-12-31 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0 | ||
2004-10-21 | 2004-09-30 | 0.71 | 0.6 | -0.11 | 15 | ||
2004-07-21 | 2004-06-30 | 0.79 | 0.79 | 0.0 | 0 | ||
2004-04-22 | 2004-03-31 | 0.72 | 0.73 | 0.01 | 1 | ||
2004-01-27 | 2003-12-31 | 0.62 | 0.62 | 0.0 | 0 | ||
2003-10-22 | 2003-09-30 | 0.85 | 0.83 | -0.02 | 2 | ||
2003-07-21 | 2003-06-30 | 0.84 | 0.83 | -0.01 | 1 | ||
2003-04-21 | 2003-03-31 | 0.76 | 0.76 | 0.0 | 0 | ||
2003-01-28 | 2002-12-31 | 0.83 | 0.83 | 0.0 | 0 | ||
2002-10-18 | 2002-09-30 | 0.83 | 0.83 | 0.0 | 0 | ||
2002-07-19 | 2002-06-30 | 0.77 | 0.77 | 0.0 | 0 | ||
2002-04-18 | 2002-03-31 | 0.71 | 0.71 | 0.0 | 0 | ||
2002-01-22 | 2001-12-31 | 0.8 | 0.81 | 0.01 | 1 | ||
2001-10-18 | 2001-09-30 | 0.83 | 0.84 | 0.01 | 1 | ||
2001-07-20 | 2001-06-30 | 0.78 | 0.78 | 0.0 | 0 | ||
2001-04-20 | 2001-03-31 | 0.71 | 0.71 | 0.0 | 0 | ||
2001-01-23 | 2000-12-31 | 0.75 | 0.75 | 0.0 | 0 | ||
2000-10-20 | 2000-09-30 | 0.73 | 0.78 | 0.05 | 6 | ||
2000-07-24 | 2000-06-30 | 0.69 | 0.73 | 0.04 | 5 | ||
2000-04-24 | 2000-03-31 | 0.62 | 0.63 | 0.01 | 1 | ||
2000-01-26 | 1999-12-31 | 0.66 | 0.66 | 0.0 | 0 | ||
1999-10-21 | 1999-09-30 | 0.64 | 0.64 | 0.0 | 0 | ||
1999-07-23 | 1999-06-30 | 0.61 | 0.61 | 0.0 | 0 | ||
1999-04-23 | 1999-03-31 | 0.54 | 0.55 | 0.01 | 1 | ||
1999-01-26 | 1998-12-31 | 0.58 | 0.58 | 0.0 | 0 | ||
1998-10-16 | 1998-09-30 | 0.56 | 0.56 | 0.0 | 0 | ||
1998-07-21 | 1998-06-30 | 0.54 | 0.56 | 0.02 | 3 | ||
1998-04-16 | 1998-03-31 | 0.48 | 0.48 | 0.0 | 0 | ||
1998-01-27 | 1997-12-31 | 0.51 | 0.52 | 0.01 | 1 | ||
1997-10-16 | 1997-09-30 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0 | ||
1997-07-17 | 1997-06-30 | 0.48 | 0.48 | 0.0 | 0 | ||
1997-04-16 | 1997-03-31 | 0.42 | 0.42 | 0.0 | 0 | ||
1997-01-28 | 1996-12-31 | 0.43 | 0.44 | 0.01 | 2 | ||
1996-10-16 | 1996-09-30 | 0.41 | 0.42 | 0.01 | 2 | ||
1996-07-18 | 1996-06-30 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0 | ||
1996-04-17 | 1996-03-31 | 0.35 | 0.35 | 0.0 | 0 | ||
1996-01-23 | 1995-12-31 | 0.35 | 0.35 | 0.0 | 0 |
Merck Corporate Directors
Thomas Glocer | Lead Independent Director | Profile | |
Christine Seidman | Independent Director | Profile | |
Kathy Warden | Independent Director | Profile | |
Paul Rothman | Independent Director | Profile |
Check out Correlation Analysis to better understand how to build diversified portfolios, which includes a position in Merck Company. Also, note that the market value of any company could be closely tied with the direction of predictive economic indicators such as signals in metropolitan statistical area. You can also try the Balance Of Power module to check stock momentum by analyzing Balance Of Power indicator and other technical ratios.
Is Pharmaceuticals space expected to grow? Or is there an opportunity to expand the business' product line in the future? Factors like these will boost the valuation of Merck. If investors know Merck will grow in the future, the company's valuation will be higher. The financial industry is built on trying to define current growth potential and future valuation accurately. All the valuation information about Merck listed above have to be considered, but the key to understanding future value is determining which factors weigh more heavily than others.
Quarterly Earnings Growth (0.33) | Dividend Share 3.08 | Earnings Share 6.74 | Revenue Per Share | Quarterly Revenue Growth 0.068 |
The market value of Merck Company is measured differently than its book value, which is the value of Merck that is recorded on the company's balance sheet. Investors also form their own opinion of Merck's value that differs from its market value or its book value, called intrinsic value, which is Merck's true underlying value. Investors use various methods to calculate intrinsic value and buy a stock when its market value falls below its intrinsic value. Because Merck's market value can be influenced by many factors that don't directly affect Merck's underlying business (such as a pandemic or basic market pessimism), market value can vary widely from intrinsic value.
Please note, there is a significant difference between Merck's value and its price as these two are different measures arrived at by different means. Investors typically determine if Merck is a good investment by looking at such factors as earnings, sales, fundamental and technical indicators, competition as well as analyst projections. However, Merck's price is the amount at which it trades on the open market and represents the number that a seller and buyer find agreeable to each party.