MERCK

Analysis before buying or selling Merck shares

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Merck & Co, Inc. is an American company active in the research, manufacture and sale of pharmaceutical products. It is one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies with a presence in major international markets. For investors interested in buying or selling Merck shares, it is important to take into account factors such as market trends, the company's financial performance, important events that may affect the share price, competition and regulatory developments. This page provides key information to help investors make informed decisions when considering buying or selling Merck stock.

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ISIN code: DE0006599905

Ticker: EPA: MRK

Index or market: DAX

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Elements to consider before selling or buying Merck shares

Analysis N°1

First of all, all the innovations of the medical and pharmaceutical sector worldwide should be monitored and not only for the Merck group.

Analysis N°2

You should also closely monitor the investments made by Merck in order to position itself in the underdeveloped and developing countries that have enormous health needs as well as the evolution of its situation in emerging markets.

Analysis N°3

The Merck group could also use its vast expertise and various resources to develop sustainable solutions in countries around the world.

Analysis N°4

You should also keep a close eye on the developments and innovations of the Merck group and in particular its research partnerships.

Analysis N°5

Finally, it goes without saying that the particularly tenacious competition in this sector of activity should also be watched.

Analysis before buying or selling Merck shares

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General presentation of Merck

The Merck Group is one of the big names in the pharmaceutical industry, specialising in the development, production and marketing of therapeutic products and vaccines. The company's most important business is the sale of pharmaceuticals. This is followed by the sale of vaccines and other complementary activities.

Merck's most important market is the United States, but it also does a lot of business in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Japan.

Among the major products marketed by the Merck group are vaccines such as Gardasil, which prevents HPV, and RotaTeq, a vaccine against rotavirus.

Merck also manufactures treatments for cholesterol problems such as Ezetrol and Zocor, both of which combat hypercholesterolemia.

It is also the originator of Isentress, used to treat HIV, and Vioxx for osteoarthritis problems, which has since been withdrawn from the market because of the cardiac risks it presented.

Finally, Merck is also known for its Singulair treatment for asthmatics.

Merck's shares are listed on Euronext Paris. However, its share price is also included in the calculation of the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA).

Photo credits: ©askarimullin/123RF.COM

The major competitors of Merck

The Merck Group is one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies, especially in the field of vaccines. These are the major competitors you should consider when buying or selling Merck shares and analysing the share price.

The Pfizer Group

an American pharmaceutical company present in over 150 countries, is the world leader in its sector with a turnover amounting to 51.58 billion dollars.

GlaxoSmithKline

(known as GSK), a British multinational, number 7 in the global pharmaceutical industry. It's the result of the merger between Glaxo Wellcome and SmithKline Beecham in 2000.

Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS)

American pharmaceutical company established in 1989 through the merger between the Bristol-Myers Company and the Squibb Corporation. It's the ninth largest pharmaceutical group in the world.

Eli Lilly and Company

Pharmaceutical group, ranked tenth in the world (in 2010) by its turnover.

Amgen Inc.

World leading American company in the medical biotechnology industry. Its headquarters are located in Thousand Oaks, California.

The major partners of Merck

To succeed in your Merck share price analysis, it's also essential to know the main worldwide partners of this group. Check out the major partnerships set up by Merck in the past.

The Sanofi group

first created a joint venture in 1994 to develop and market vaccines from the research of both companies and sell them in 19 European countries.

Sun Pharmaceutical

In 2011, Merck and Sun Pharmaceutical, an Indian company specializing in the pharmaceutical sector, announced the creation of a joint venture aimed at designing, manufacturing and marketing new combinations and preparations of generic drugs on the market of emerging countries.

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The factors in favour of a rise in the Merck share price:

The first great advantage of the Merck Group is its brand name, which is known worldwide. The Merck brand is one of the strongest brands in the pharmaceutical industry, which makes it easier to market its products and promote them to physicians and specialists.

In addition, the Merck group has a particularly large and, above all, highly diversified portfolio of pharmaceutical products and treatments. This enables it to reach different segments of the population and to offer solutions to a wide range of health problems and illnesses.

Merck's brand image is also positively supported by the company's charitable activities, especially in the United States, where Merck provides free medical aid to the most disadvantaged people.

Of course, Merck also invests a great deal of money in research and development every year, making it an innovative pharmaceutical company and setting it apart from the competition in this sector.

The strong international presence of the Merck Group is also appreciated, as it markets its products throughout Europe as well as in Africa, Asia, Oceania and Latin America. Through its various laboratories and research centers but also for the commercial part, Merck employs more than 40,000 people worldwide.

The factors in favour of a drop in the Merck share price:

Of course, the Merck group not only has advantages and arguments in its favor, but also some weaknesses that you have to compare with its strengths in order to carry out an effective fundamental analysis of the stock. Here is a list of the main weaknesses.

First of all, the Merck group regularly suffers from problems of imitation of its main drugs, which have had the effect of affecting its brand image and thus lowering the confidence of consumers who have become more distrustful. This has had a non-negligible impact on the group's sales and profitability.

Finally, the group's second major weakness this time is that it has not yet managed to position itself sufficiently effectively in emerging markets. Brand recall in these economies remains too low for Merck, which is largely overtaken by the competition. This represents a considerable shortfall compared to the opportunities in these high-demand markets.

The information supplied here is only for indicative purposes and should not be used without the completion of a comprehensive and complete fundamental analysis of this asset notably taking into account exterior data, future publications and announcements and all fundamental events and news that could influence the strengths and weaknesses or make them more or less significant. This information does not in any way constitute recommendations relating to the completion of transactions or a solicitation to buy or sell an asset.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the principal subsidiaries owned and operated by the Merck Group?

The Merck Group owns and operates various subsidiaries around the world that it has developed and implemented into its international expansion strategy and which enable this group to be present on a number of markets. These subsidiaries particularly include Merck India, Merck United Kingdom, Merck Canada, Merck Spain and Seven Seas. Through these different entities the Merck Group currently employs nearly 53,000 employees around the world.

How to follow the Merck group’s activities in real time?

To be able to correctly identify in advance the movements in the Merck share price on the market you will above all need to focus your attention on this group’s activities, particularly those in research and development as well as the launch of new products and treatments by this group.

Is it possible to speculate on a fall in the Merck share price?

As the fact of buying Merck shares to add to a stock market share portfolio could be seen as actually taking position on a rise in the share price you may ask if it is therefore possible to take position on this asset without having to go through this particular operation. In fact, due to CFDs, otherwise known as ‘Contracts for the Difference’, that are available through online brokers you can in fact speculate directly on a fall in this share price.

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