Merck's Q4 Earnings Preview

Merck MRK announces its next round of earnings this Friday, Feb. 1. Here is Benzinga's everything-that-matters guide for this Friday's Q4 earnings announcement.

Earnings and Revenue

Based on Merck management projections, analysts predict EPS of $1.04 on revenue of $10.96 billion.

Merck's loss in the same period a year ago was 98 cents. Quarterly sales came in at $10.43 billion. The analyst consensus estimate would represent a 6.12 percent increase in the company's earnings. Revenue would be up 5.05 percent from the year-ago period. In comparison to analyst estimates in the past, here's how the company's reported EPS stacks up:

Stock Performance

Over the last 52-week period, shares are up 19.05 percent. Given that these returns are generally positive, long-term shareholders can relax going into this earnings release. Long-term shareholders are already enjoying 12-month gains prior to the announcement.

Analyst estimates have adjusted higher for EPS and revenues over the past 90 days. Analysts generally rate Merck stock as Neutral. The strength of this rating has maintained conviction over the past three months.

Conference Call

Don't be surprised to see the stock move on comments made during its conference call. Merck's Q4 conference call is scheduled to begin at 8:00 a.m. ET and can be accessed here.