Merck Stock Rises Despite 73rd Rank in Trading Volume

On May 19, 2025, Merck & Co Inc (MRK) saw a trading volume of $896 million, marking a 21.21% decrease from the previous day. The stock ranked 73rd in terms of trading volume for the day. MRK's stock price rose by 1.54%, marking the third consecutive day of gains, with a total increase of 5.12% over the past three days.

Merck has initiated the IDeate-Esophageal01 Phase 3 trial for ifinatamab deruxtecan, a potential first-in-class B7-H3 directed antibody drug conjugate. This trial aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the drug against chemotherapy in certain patients with pretreated advanced or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

In addition to the esophageal cancer trial, Merck has also launched the waveLINE-010 Phase 3 clinical trial in February 2025. This trial is part of Merck's expanding phase III pipeline, which has nearly tripled since 2021. The company's pipeline growth is supported by both in-house progress and the addition of candidates through mergers and acquisitions.

Merck's stock has received a Buy rating and a price target of $105.00 from UBS, as the company anticipates results from its ongoing clinical trials. The positive outlook from UBS, coupled with Merck's expanding pipeline, has contributed to the recent upward trend in the stock price.