Market Update (NYSE:MRK): Merck Resolves Previously Disclosed Securities Class Action Lawsuit Related to Vioxx

[Business Wire] – Merck , known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced that it has reached an agreement with plaintiffs to resolve In re Merck & Co., Inc. Securities Litigation, a multi-district class action lawsuit pending in New Jersey federal court. Read more on this. Merck & Co. Inc. (MRK) , currently valued at $140.35B, finished yesterday at $51.80. Looking at today’s market, MRK one day range is $50.10 to $50.19 and has traded between $45.69 and $63.30 over the past 12 months. Priced at 14.51x this year’s forecasted earnings, MRK shares are relatively expensive compared to the industry’s -3.59x forward p/e ratio. And for income investors, the company pays shareholders $1.84 per share annually in dividends, yielding 3.60%. In a review of the consensus earnings estimate this quarter, 18 sell-side analysts are looking at $0.91 per share, which would be $0.04 better than the year-ago quarter and a $0.02 sequential increase. What we find to be interesting is that the full-year EPS estimate of $3.57 is a $0.08 improvement when compared to the previous year’s annual results. The quarterly earnings estimate is predicated on a consensus revenue forecast of $10.35 Billion. If reported, that would be a 1.24% decrease over the year-ago quarter. Recently, Berenberg Initiated MRK at Hold (Nov 24, 2015). Previously, Piper Jaffray Initiated MRK at to Neutral. Investors should keep in mind is that the average price target is $62.05, which is 19.79% above where the stock opened this morning. See more in (NYSE:MRK) Similar Articles: Company Update: Merck & Co Inc (NYSE:MRK) – Merck’s Pembrolizumab Shows Superior Overall Survival Compared to Chemotherapy in Patients with Previously Treated Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Whose Tumors Express PD-L1 Market Update (NYSE:MRK): European Commission Approves Merck’s Anti-PD-1 Therapy, KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab), for Both First-line and Previously-treated Patients with Advanced Melanoma Market Update: Merck & Co Inc (NYSE:MRK) – Merck Marks 30-Year Milestone in Commitment to Innovation and Care in HIV/AIDS