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Mar 16, 2019
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Merck gets European approval for PD-1 inhibitor

Merck gets European approval for PD-1 inhibitor

Merck & Co., Inc. says the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has approved the label expansion of its blockbuster PD-1 inhibitor, Keytruda (pembrolizumab). The drug has now been approved in combination with chemotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with metastatic squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) — a difficult to treat lung cancer.

The European approval was expected as the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use had recommended the same in February. Following the approval, the Keytruda combo is now the first anti-PD-1 therapy to be approved in the EU for adult patients affected by metastatic squamous NSCLC.

Related Ticker: MRK

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MRK sees its Stochastic Oscillator recovers from oversold territory

On October 30, 2026, the Stochastic Oscillator for MRK moved out of oversold territory and this could be a bullish sign for the stock. Traders may want to buy the stock or buy call options. Tickeron's A.I.dvisor looked at 52 instances where the indicator left the oversold zone. In 37 of the 52 cases the stock moved higher in the following days. This puts the odds of a move higher at over 71%.

Price Prediction Chart

Technical Analysis (Indicators)

Bullish Trend Analysis

The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) for MRK just turned positive on October 30, 2026. Looking at past instances where MRK's MACD turned positive, the stock continued to rise in 28 of 50 cases over the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 56%.

Following a +6.09% 3-day Advance, the price is estimated to grow further. Considering data from situations where MRK advanced for three days, in 191 of 338 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 57%.

MRK may jump back above the lower band and head toward the middle band. Traders may consider buying the stock or exploring call options.

The Aroon Indicator entered an Uptrend today. In 174 of 265 cases where MRK Aroon's Indicator entered an Uptrend, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued Uptrend are 66%.

Bearish Trend Analysis

The Momentum Indicator moved below the 0 level on November 03, 2026. You may want to consider selling the stock, shorting the stock, or exploring put options on MRK as a result. In 46 of 85 cases where the Momentum Indicator fell below 0, the stock fell further within the subsequent month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 54%.

MRK moved below its 50-day moving average on November 03, 2026 date and that indicates a change from an upward trend to a downward trend.

The 10-day moving average for MRK crossed bearishly below the 50-day moving average on October 13, 2026. This indicates that the trend has shifted lower and could be considered a sell signal. In 11 of 16 past instances when the 10-day crossed below the 50-day, the stock continued to move higher over the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 69%.

Following a 3-day decline, the stock is projected to fall further. Considering past instances where MRK declined for three days, the price rose further in 50 of 62 cases within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 51%.

Fundamental Analysis (Ratings)

The Tickeron PE Growth Rating for this company is 1 (best 1 - 100 worst), pointing to outstanding earnings growth. The PE Growth rating is based on a comparative analysis of stock PE ratio increase over the last 12 months compared against S&P 500 index constituents.

The Tickeron Price Growth Rating for this company is 9 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating outstanding price growth. MRK’s price grows at a higher rate over the last 12 months as compared to S&P 500 index constituents.

The Tickeron Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for this company is 32 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating low risk on high returns. The average Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for the industry is 60, placing this stock better than average.

The Tickeron Seasonality Score of 50 (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is fair valued in the industry. The Tickeron Seasonality score describes the variance of predictable price changes around the same period every calendar year. These changes can be tied to a specific month, quarter, holiday or vacation period, as well as a meteorological or growing season.

The Tickeron SMR rating for this company is 79 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating weak sales and an unprofitable business model. SMR (Sales, Margin, Return on Equity) rating is based on comparative analysis of weighted Sales, Income Margin and Return on Equity values compared against S&P 500 index constituents. The weighted SMR value is a proprietary formula developed by Tickeron and represents an overall profitability measure for a stock.

The Tickeron Valuation Rating of 88 (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is significantly overvalued in the industry. This rating compares market capitalization estimated by our proprietary formula with the current market capitalization. This rating is based on the following metrics, as compared to industry averages: P/B Ratio (8.512) is normal, around the industry mean (-1.619). MRK's P/E Ratio (114.817) is considerably higher than the industry average of (21.766). Projected Growth (PEG Ratio) (2.716) is also within normal values, averaging (5.738). Dividend Yield (0.024) settles around the average of (0.038) among similar stocks. P/S Ratio (5.402) is also within normal values, averaging (4.033).

Notable companies

The most notable companies in this group are Eli Lilly & Co (NYSE:LLY), Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ), ABBVIE (NYSE:ABBV), Merck & Co (NYSE:MRK), AstraZeneca PLC (NYSE:AZN), Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN), Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD), Pfizer (NYSE:PFE), Bristol-Myers Squibb Co (NYSE:BMY), Biogen (NASDAQ:BIIB).

Industry description

The Major Pharmaceuticals industry includes companies that are involved in various processes of creating drugs to treat/prevent diseases. These companies engage in research, testing and manufacturing, as well as the distribution of pharmaceuticals into markets. Johnson & Johnson, Merck & Co., Inc., Pfizer Inc. and Novartis are among the largest companies in this category.

Market Cap

The average market capitalization across the Pharmaceuticals: Major Industry is 217.88B. The market cap for tickers in the group ranges from 4.8K to 1.26T. LLY holds the highest valuation in this group at 1.26T. The lowest valued company is NEWG at 4.8K.

High and low price notable news

The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the Pharmaceuticals: Major Industry was 0%. For the same Industry, the average monthly price growth was -1%, and the average quarterly price growth was 4%. LLY experienced the highest price growth at 10%, while MDCX experienced the biggest fall at -17%.

Volume

The average weekly volume growth across all stocks in the Pharmaceuticals: Major Industry was 47%. For the same stocks of the Industry, the average monthly volume growth was 14% and the average quarterly volume growth was -6%

Fundamental Analysis Ratings

The average fundamental analysis ratings, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, are as follows

Valuation Rating: 58
P/E Growth Rating: 33
Price Growth Rating: 39
SMR Rating: 59
Profit Risk Rating: 59
Seasonality Score: 18 (-100 ... +100)
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published General Information

General Information

a developer of human and animal health products

Industry PharmaceuticalsMajor

Industry
Pharmaceuticals Major
Address
126 East Lincoln Avenue
Phone
+1 908 740-4000
Employees
75000
Web
https://www.merck.com
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Merck gets European approval for PD-1 inhibitor