Good MorningThe S&P 500 pulled back on Thursday following better-than-expected results from Walmart. The world's largest retailer reported top and bottom-line outperformance driven by strength in all categories. The bad news is that guidance is weak and forecasts growth to slow. The result is a 6% decline in WMT's share price and market top that may remain in place until later this year.
Next week could be a volatile one for the S&P 500. The market faces earnings reports from numerous retailers and a critical economic release due Friday. The January read of the PCE price index is due and likely to confirm sticky inflation. The market could enter a correction in this scenario due to the impact on the FOMC rate reduction timeline. The FOMC is expected to lower interest rates, but the timing is uncertain and may not be until 2026. Featured: Elon’s big $266,000 per second purchase (Ad) 
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Retail/Wholesale | |
One of the most important things investors need to be aware of in the market is economic data, especially when the S&P 500 trades near or at its all-time highs, such as today. This is because the data will show investors what the charts won’t and that is whether the underlying economy ca... Read the Full Story |
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Finance | |
Bridgewater Associates, founded by famed investor Ray Dalio, loaded up on shares of some big-name stocks in Q4. Bridgewater Associates recently released its Form 13F. Institutional investment managers with more than $100 million in discretionary control over 13F Securities must file this document.... Read the Full Story |
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Retail/Wholesale | |
Walmart's (NYSE: WMT) February price correction is a buying signal for long-term investors. The drop is due to slowing growth and tariff fears but does little to alter the long-term outlook for earnings, cash flow, equity gains, and capital return. While slower growth and tariffs are headwinds f... Read the Full Story |
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From Our Partners | | Trump is launching a new $250 bill - but that may be a distraction. Behind the scenes, Executive Order 14241 is orchestrating what analyst Porter Stansberry calls a total U.S. money reset, bypassing conventional legal channels under the guise of national security.
The last time America reset its currency - under Nixon in the 1970s - it created an average of 1,300 new millionaires a day for over 50 years. Stansberry has identified three asset categories connected to Trump's initiative that could surge, plus his single top investment move. | | Watch the documentary briefing and find out which side you land on |
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Auto/Tires/Trucks | |
Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA) has had a wild ride over the past few months. In the weeks following Trump’s election victory, the stock soared 130%, reaching an all-time high in December before momentum stalled. Since then, shares have fallen more than 25%, with investors taking profits and shi... Read the Full Story |
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Technology | |
High-profile stock market stories tend to carry a stigma for investors in the sense that few know whether it’s best to trade these names or just hold them for the long haul. Today, the largest share of attention and capital is centered around the technology sector in the United States, par... Read the Full Story |
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From Our Partners | | Bank of America just revealed your expiration date. In their Bloomberg interview, they didn't just predict the digital dollar. They gave us the timeline… 2025 to 2030. We're in that window right now.
Once the digital dollar launches, every transaction you make will be tracked. Your spending could be controlled. Your accounts could be frozen.
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Medical | |
Health insurance giant Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) stock initially rose in reaction to its fourth quarter of 2024 earnings report despite posting losses.
The medical sector giant was one of the first carriers to sound the alarm of rising inpatient utilization costs, notably with its Medicare Advant... Read the Full Story |
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Technology | |
Three mega-cap names recently announced billions in share repurchase authorizations. Mega-cap generally refers to stock with market capitalizations of $200 billion or more. Below, I’ll detail exactly how large the buyback authorizations these huge firms have approved are. I’ll also inc... Read the Full Story |
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Retail/Wholesale | |
However, retail and wholesale beauty stocks have been in a steady decline, with losses accelerating in 2025. Once a Wall Street favorite, Ulta Beauty Inc. (NASDAQ: ULTA) ended 2024 down 11.24% and is currently down 16.05% YTD. Coty Inc. (NYSE: COTY) fared worse, closing 2024 with a 43.96% loss and... Read the Full Story |
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Retail/Wholesale | |
Most investors fall into what’s called “Indicator purgatory,” where they rely heavily on indicators and chart patterns to tell them where to start buying and selling in the market. However, there comes a point in the economic cycle, such as today, when those strategies become too... Read the Full Story |
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Retail/Wholesale | |
Fastenal Inc. (NASDAQ: FAST) is a leading supplier of construction and industrial supplies, including fasteners, bolts, screws, studs, washers, as well as safety supplies and tools for maintenance repair and operations (MRO) products. Muted industrial manufacturing and construction activity amid... Read the Full Story |
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Friday's Early Bird Stock Of The Day Merck & Co., Inc. is a health care company, which engages in the provision of health solutions through its prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies, animal health, and consumer care products. It operates through the following segments: Pharmaceutical, Animal Health, and Other. The Pharmaceutical segment includes human health pharmaceutical and vaccine products. The Animal Health segment discovers, develops, manufactures, and markets animal health products, such as pharmaceutical and vaccine products, for the prevention, treatment and control of disease in livestock, and companion animal species. The Other segment consists of sales for the non-reportable segments of healthcare services. The company was founded in 1891 and is headquartered in Rahway, NJ. | Should I Buy Merck & Co., Inc. Stock? MRK Bull and Bear Case Explained
These insights were generated using artificial intelligence. They are based on proprietary MarketBeat data, news articles, and custom LLM A.I. algorithms. This analysis of Merck & Co., Inc. was last updated on Friday, July 17, 2026 at 6:04 PM.
Merck & Co., Inc. Bull Case -
Merck recently reported earnings that exceeded expectations, with earnings per share (EPS) of ($1.28), surpassing the consensus estimate by $0.19. This indicates strong financial performance and potential for growth.
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The company has a robust revenue stream, reporting $16.29 billion for the quarter, which is above the expected $15.85 billion. This growth in revenue suggests a solid market position and demand for its products.
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Merck has set a positive guidance for FY 2026, projecting EPS between 5.040 and 5.160, indicating confidence in future profitability.
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The current stock price is around $140, reflecting a strong market valuation and investor confidence in the company's future prospects.
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Merck's dividend yield is approximately 2.7%, with a consistent annualized dividend of $3.40, which can provide a steady income stream for investors.
Merck & Co., Inc. Bear Case -
The company's dividend payout ratio is quite high at 95.77%, which may raise concerns about sustainability, especially if earnings fluctuate.
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Despite recent positive earnings, Merck's EPS was significantly lower than the previous year's $2.22, indicating potential challenges in maintaining profitability.
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Analysts have mixed ratings on the stock, with some maintaining a "neutral" rating, which may suggest uncertainty about future performance.
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Market competition in the biopharmaceutical sector is intense, which could impact Merck's market share and pricing power.
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Recent changes in institutional holdings indicate some volatility in investor sentiment, which could affect stock stability.
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