New York, Feb 7, 2026, 14:55 EST — The session wrapped up with markets closed.
- Merck shares finished 1.8% higher at $121.93, getting a lift after Health Canada cleared a key component of its RSV prevention effort.
- Guggenheim bumped its price target, while a series of insider-sale disclosures also hit the tape this week.
- Next up for investors: they’re watching FDA decision dates and waiting on the next earnings update to find a fresh catalyst.
Merck & Co., Inc. climbed 1.8% to close at $121.93 Friday, with the stock edging closer to its previous highs. The move followed news that Health Canada cleared the company’s ENFLONSIA RSV antibody for use in newborns and infants.
U.S. markets are closed until Monday. That leaves a straightforward question on the table—does the rally hold, or will traders look to sell into this two-day surge of catalysts after the open?
Health Canada’s green light for ENFLONSIA (clesrovimab) is significant, with the decision set to accelerate both launch preparation and reimbursement steps for the preventive monoclonal antibody. Merck says their shot could offer up to five months of protection, but the company notes that actual access “may vary” depending on province or territory reimbursement processes. “The approval of ENFLONSIA® adds a new option for RSV prevention in infants,” said Matthew Thornhill, executive director of Merck Canada’s vaccines business unit. Merck Canada
Merck shares notched a seven-session winning streak, finishing Friday a hair below their 52-week high. Trading volume came in close to 13 million—just shy of the 50-day average, MarketWatch data show. Still, the stock’s gain trailed several major pharma names.
Analysts added to the momentum. Guggenheim bumped its price target for Merck up to $140 from $122, sticking with a buy rating, per MarketScreener, which cited MT Newswires.
Insider activity turned up fresh numbers: Richard R. DeLuca—executive vice president and president of Merck Animal Health—sold 37,685 shares on Feb. 6, unloading at a weighted average price of $120.9241, according to a Form 4.
On Feb. 6, two more Merck execs disclosed stock sales. Johannes Jacobus Oosthuizen, who heads the U.S. market, unloaded 15,000 shares at a weighted average price of $121.8661. Meanwhile, David Michael Williams—chief information and digital officer—exercised options and sold off 5,000 shares at $121.905, according to separate Form 4s.
Competition remains fierce. The infant RSV prevention market is packed, and in Canada, ENFLONSIA’s fortunes will ride on its price, how quickly it secures reimbursement, and whether doctors see it as a full-fledged substitute or just an extra layer.
A basic risk for the stock stands out: just because a product gets approved, that doesn’t guarantee a smooth sales ramp. Then there’s the issue of insider selling—multiple executives cashing out, even in small amounts, has a way of rattling investors’ nerves.
Merck is set to report first-quarter 2026 results on April 30, the drugmaker’s next date on the earnings slate.
The next binary moment falls to the FDA. Merck’s eyes are on Feb. 20, flagged as the PDUFA target date, when the agency is set to deliver its verdict on a KEYTRUDA combo for platinum-resistant recurrent ovarian cancer.
