Merck & Co. stock: Q3 sales beat raises 2026 outlook

Merck & Co. reported stronger third-quarter sales on October 29, 2026, and raised its full-year adjusted earnings outlook. The company said worldwide sales rose 5 percent year over year to 18.1 billion US dollars, supported by oncology, animal health and newer products. The results were published in a Merck financial release.

Sales growth supports higher outlook

Merck raised its 2026 non-GAAP EPS range to 2.77 to 2.82 US dollars from 2.66 to 2.76 US dollars. The company also lifted the lower end of its sales outlook to 66.8 billion US dollars while retaining the upper end at 67.3 billion US dollars.

The revised earnings range includes a one-time charge of 0.12 US dollars per share tied to a global license agreement with SciBrunch. Merck's third-quarter GAAP EPS was 2.04 US dollars, down from 2.32 US dollars a year earlier, while non-GAAP EPS declined to 2.49 US dollars from 2.58 US dollars.

Oncology remains the main growth engine

KEYTRUDA and KEYTRUDA QLEX sales increased 6 percent to 8.6 billion US dollars, including 830 million US dollars from KEYTRUDA QLEX. WINREVAIR sales rose 93 percent to 694 million US dollars, while Animal Health sales grew 4 percent to 1.7 billion US dollars.

Merck also highlighted late-stage oncology data and regulatory progress for several pipeline programs. The company said the outlook includes one-time charges linked to the Cidara and Terns acquisitions as well as the SciBrunch agreement, so reported and adjusted results should be considered separately.

Merck & Co. stock traded at 133.49 euros on Lang & Schwarz at 16:38 CET on Friday, October 30, 2026; investors can follow the real-time quote of Merck & Co. stock.

US pharmaceutical shares remain sensitive to earnings revisions, clinical milestones and regulatory decisions, making the broader S&P 500 a relevant market backdrop.

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