Cautious Optimism As Merck Leans On Oncology Amid Gardasil Vaccine Concerns

Pharmaceutical giants are navigating a complex landscape of fluctuating demand and regulatory hurdles, impacting their financial performance and strategic outlook. Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) is the latest to face these challenges, as its recent earnings report reveals a mixed bag of successes and setbacks.

Merck reported a mixed second-quarter earnings picture on Tuesday. Adjusted earnings exceeded analyst consensus, but overall sales declined slightly year-over-year and fell short of revenue expectations.

• MRK is consolidating close to its 52-week bottom. See real-time price here.

Investors were concerned about a significant drop in Gardasil vaccine sales, even as its blockbuster cancer drug Keytruda continued its strong growth trajectory.

Adjusted earnings per share of $2.13 surpassed consensus estimates of $2.04, marking a decline from the $2.28 reported in the prior-year period.

Total sales of $15.81 billion, a 2% year-over-year decrease, narrowly missed analysts’ projections of $15.94 billion.

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Bank of America (BofA) Securities lowered the price forecast from $99 to $98, with a Buy rating.

BofA says its revenue estimates are about 1% to 2% lower, mainly due to weaker Gardasil sales, though this is partly balanced by stronger Keytruda performance. Merck has said it won’t be shipping Gardasil to China in 2025, and this delay may continue into 2026. BofA’s core earnings estimates remain mostly the same.

Analyst Tim Anderson noted during the investor call that the primary focus, surprisingly, wasn’t on Gardasil, even though its slightly weaker Q2 performance likely caused the stock to drop 8% at the open before recovering to close just 2% lower.

Instead, most of the discussion centered on the company’s cancer drugs, such as Keytruda, and its cardiovascular and kidney treatments, including Winrevair. Overall, the rest of the business appears to be performing well.

MRK Price Action: Merck & Co shares were down 0.53% at $82.19 at the time of publication on Wednesday, according to Benzinga Pro data.

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