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Dec 10, 2019
Merck(MRK, $88.71) to buy ArQule in $2.7 billion deal

Merck(MRK, $88.71) to buy ArQule in $2.7 billion deal

Merck & Co. will acquire oncology specialist ArQule in a $2.7 billion deal.

Merck said it will pay $20 for each  ArQule share, which would be a premium of more than 100%  to the stock's closing price of $9.66 Friday on the Nasdaq.

ArQule specializes in research and development of targeted therapeutics for treatment of cancers and rare diseases. It will be merged into the broader Merck & Co.

The deal is expected to close early in the first quarter of 2020.  The merger would allow  Merck access to ArQule’s experimental treatment ARQ 531, a precision medicine that customizes treatment to a patient’s genetic profile.

 

Related Ticker: MRK

Contributor

Sergey Savastiouk, Ph.D. has a degree in Applied Mathematics from Moscow University and has extensive experience as an entrepreneur, investor, manager, and mathematician. His professional expertise is in applied mathematics, mathematical modeling, system and pattern analysis, and software and hardware system integration. He has served as the CEO of several hi-tech start-up companies and nonprofit organizations, which has given him proven capabilities in business strategy for high-tech start-up companies, market assessment, company formation, team building, product development, marketing, and sales. He has published numerous articles in journals and magazines on related fields. As a retail investor, he spent 15 years developing his proprietary trading and quantitative algorithms (now Tickeron’s A.I.), which brought him significant returns in trading the stock market. His current work and goal in founding Tickeron is to bring professional, sophisticated stock market analysis capabilities to retail investors via an easy-to-use interface.


Aroon Indicator for MRK shows an upward move is likely

MRK's Aroon Indicator triggered a bullish signal on September 03, 2026. Tickeron's A.I.dvisor detected that the AroonUp green line is above 70 while the AroonDown red line is below 30. When the up indicator moves above 70 and the down indicator remains below 30, it is a sign that the stock could be setting up for a bullish move. Traders may want to buy the stock or look to buy calls options. A.I.dvisor looked at 260 similar instances where the Aroon Indicator showed a similar pattern. In of the 260 cases, the stock moved higher in the days that followed. This puts the odds of a move higher at .

Price Prediction Chart

Technical Analysis (Indicators)

Bullish Trend Analysis

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

Bearish Trend Analysis

The 10-day RSI Indicator for MRK moved out of overbought territory on August 27, 2026. This could be a bearish sign for the stock. Traders may want to consider selling the stock or buying put options. Tickeron's A.I.dvisor looked at 35 similar instances where the indicator moved out of overbought territory. In of the 35 cases, the stock moved lower in the following days. This puts the odds of a move lower at .

The Stochastic Oscillator may be shifting from an upward trend to a downward trend. In of 64 cases where MRK's Stochastic Oscillator exited the overbought zone, the price fell further within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are .

The Momentum Indicator moved below the 0 level on September 04, 2026. You may want to consider selling the stock, shorting the stock, or exploring put options on MRK as a result. In of 83 cases where the Momentum Indicator fell below 0, the stock fell further within the subsequent month. The odds of a continued downward trend are .

The Moving Average Convergence Divergence Histogram (MACD) for MRK turned negative on September 04, 2026. This could be a sign that the stock is set to turn lower in the coming weeks. Traders may want to sell the stock or buy put options. Tickeron's A.I.dvisor looked at 51 similar instances when the indicator turned negative. In of the 51 cases the stock turned lower in the days that followed. This puts the odds of success at .

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 of 62 cases within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are .

MRK broke above its upper Bollinger Band on August 19, 2026. This could be a sign that the stock is set to drop as the stock moves back below the upper band and toward the middle band. You may want to consider selling the stock or exploring put options.

Fundamental Analysis (Ratings)

The Tickeron PE Growth Rating for this company is (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 (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 Valuation Rating of (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is seriously undervalued 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 (8.681) is normal, around the industry mean (19.020). MRK's P/E Ratio (118.024) is considerably higher than the industry average of (31.910). Projected Growth (PEG Ratio) (2.873) is also within normal values, averaging (9.778). Dividend Yield (0.023) settles around the average of (0.029) among similar stocks. P/S Ratio (5.501) is also within normal values, averaging (4.037).

The Tickeron Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating low risk on high returns. The average Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for the industry is 63, placing this stock better than average.

The Tickeron Seasonality Score of (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 (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.

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 195.65B. The market cap for tickers in the group ranges from 72.83K to 1T. LLY holds the highest valuation in this group at 1T. The lowest valued company is CRXTQ at 72.83K.

High and low price notable news

The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the Pharmaceuticals: Major Industry was -6%. For the same Industry, the average monthly price growth was -4%, and the average quarterly price growth was 7%. AMRN experienced the highest price growth at 3%, while MDCX experienced the biggest fall at -32%.

Volume

The average weekly volume growth across all stocks in the Pharmaceuticals: Major Industry was -1%. For the same stocks of the Industry, the average monthly volume growth was 19% and the average quarterly volume growth was -3%

Fundamental Analysis Ratings

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

Valuation Rating: 23
P/E Growth Rating: 56
Price Growth Rating: 40
SMR Rating: 59
Profit Risk Rating: 63
Seasonality Score: -2 (-100 ... +100)
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General Information

a developer of human and animal health products

Industry PharmaceuticalsMajor

Profile
Details
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(MRK, $88.71) to buy ArQule in $2.7 billion deal