PREVIEW: Merck seen reporting Q1 rev dip, EPS increase

Shares in drug co Merck & Co MRK.N down 0.2%, scheduled to report Q1 results before market open on Thursday

Wall Street sees MRK reporting adj EPS of $2.14 vs $2.07 in year-ago quarter on rev of $15.31 bln vs $15.78 bln year-ago, according to latest data from LSEG

In last 8 quarters EPS, rev beat Street view every time

Merck shares took a sharp dive in early Feb on announcement it would not ship HPV vaccine Gardasil in China until at least mid-year, denting FY forecast; pharma shares including MRK also hurt broadly in recent weeks by uncertainty around U.S. President Trump's tariff policies

MRK last traded at $78.87. Median PT of $108.22, down from $125 three months ago, according to LSEG, which shows 27 analyst ratings: 7 'strong buy,' 10 'buy,' and 10 'hold'

YTD down ~21% after falling 8.8% in 2024 vs ~1% drop for S&P 500 healthcare sector .SPXHC so far this year after 0.9% gain in 2024;

MRK options imply a 5.3% swing for the shares, in either direction by Friday, per Trade Alert data; the stock has logged an avg move of 4.2% on the day of results over the last eight qtrs