On Monday analysts at BMO Financial upgraded pharmaceutical company Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) after positive data from two early stage products.

The analysts boosted its rating on Merck from “Market Perform” to “Outperform” with a price target of $50. The target is a +13.5% increase from Friday’s closing price o $44.05.

Merck shares were up 47 cents, or +1.07%, in premarket trading on Monday.

The Bottom Line
Shares of Merck (MRK) have a 3.81% dividend yield, based on Friday’s closing stock price of $44.05. The stock has technical support in the $41-$42 price area. If the shares can firm up, we see overhead resistance around the $46-$48 price levels.

Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) is not recommended at this time, holding a Dividend.com DARS™ Rating of 3.4 out of 5 stars.

Be sure to visit our complete recommended list of the Best Dividend Stocks, as well as a detailed explanation of our ratings system here.