Merck
Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE: MRK) remains a leading health care stock for conservative investors. Its Pharmaceutical segment offers human health pharmaceutical products in the areas of oncology, hospital acute care, immunology, neuroscience, virology, cardiovascular and diabetes, as well as vaccine products, such as preventive pediatric, adolescent and adult vaccines.
The company’s Animal Health segment discovers, develops, manufactures and markets veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines and health management solutions and services, as well as digitally connected identification, traceability and monitoring products.
Merck serves drug wholesalers and retailers; hospitals; government agencies; managed health care providers, such as health maintenance organizations, pharmacy benefit managers and other institutions; and physicians and physician distributors, veterinarians and animal producers. The company has collaborations with AstraZeneca, Bayer, Eisai, Ridgeback Biotherapeutics and Gilead Sciences to jointly develop and commercialize long-acting treatments in HIV.
Investors are paid a solid 3.09% dividend. The target price at Goldman Sachs is $105, and Merck stock is on the firm’s Conviction List of top picks. The consensus target is $100.68, and Monday’s closing print was $87.59.
Pfizer
This top pharmaceutical stock was one of the winners in the COVID-19 vaccine race. Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) discovers, develops, manufactures, markets, distributes and sells biopharmaceutical products worldwide.
The company offers medicines and vaccines in various therapeutic areas, including the following:
- Cardiovascular metabolic and women’s health under the Premarin family and Eliquis brands
- Biologics, small molecules, immunotherapies and biosimilars under the Ibrance, Xtandi, Sutent, Inlyta, Retacrit, Lorbrena and Braftovi brands
- Sterile injectable and anti-infective medicines and oral COVID-19 treatment under the Sulperazon, Medrol, Zavicefta, Zithromax, Vfend, Panzyga and Paxlovid brands.
- Pneumococcal disease, meningococcal disease, tick-borne encephalitis and COVID-19 under the Comirnaty/BNT162b2, Nimenrix, FSME/IMMUN-TicoVac, Trumenba and the Prevnar family brands
- Biosimilars for chronic immune and inflammatory diseases under the Xeljanz, Enbrel, Inflectra, Eucrisa/Staquis and Cibinqo brands
- Amyloidosis, hemophilia and endocrine diseases under the Vyndaqel/Vyndamax, BeneFIX and Genotropin brands
Shareholders receive a 3.42% dividend. The BofA Securities price objective is $70. The consensus price target is just $58.25. On Monday, Pfizer stock was last seen trading at $46.23.
These are eight outstanding stocks to look at now. September is annually one of the worst months of the year for stocks, as both the Dow Jones industrials and the S&P 500 have averaged a 1% decline. So, it makes sense now to move from volatile sectors to health care. While these stocks are not immune to downside drafts in the stock market, they should hold up much better than most.
Originally posted at 24/7 Wall St.
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