#5 - Merck (NYSE:MRK)
Merck (MRK)-Beta: 0.55-Dividend Yield: 3.02%
Biopharmaceutical companies are among the most volatile stocks in the broader healthcare sector. While Merck (NYSE:MRK) may not be on the front line of the race to a treatment for the novel coronavirus, they are lending their support in important ways.
A number of companies that is too long to list are working on treatments for the novel coronavirus. One of the risks that are involved with investing in these stocks is that they are frequently traded on the news. That’s why a stock like Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) soared upwards on hopeful news of their drug remdesivir and its effectiveness in potentially shortening the recovery time of infected patients.
However, what goes up can come down. And investors with a queasy stomach need not invest in GILD stock as the price has moved up and down with every piece of news good or bad.
Which brings us back to Merck and its signature cancer drug, Keytruda. On April 28, the company received accelerated approval to launch a new treatment schedule for Keytruda. This drug generated $11.1 billion in sales for the company last year. That’s over 50% more than its nearest competitor.
While all the focus is on the novel coronavirus, diseases like cancer are not going away. And that means that for investors looking for stocks with long-term stability, Merck is a solid choice.
About Merck & Co., Inc.
Merck & Co, Inc operates as a healthcare company worldwide. It operates through two segments, Pharmaceutical and Animal Health. The Pharmaceutical segment offers human health pharmaceutical products in the areas of oncology, hospital acute care, immunology, neuroscience, virology, cardiovascular, and diabetes under the Keytruda, Bridion, Adempas, Lagevrio, Belsomra, Simponi, and Januvia brands, as well as vaccine products consisting of preventive pediatric, adolescent, and adult vaccines under the Gardasil/Gardasil 9, ProQuad, M-M-R II, Varivax, RotaTeq, Live Oral, Vaxneuvance, Pneumovax 23, and Vaqta names.
Read More - Current Price
- $98.05
- Consensus Rating
- Moderate Buy
- Ratings Breakdown
- 13 Buy Ratings, 7 Hold Ratings, 1 Sell Ratings.
- Consensus Price Target
- $127.13 (29.7% Upside)
