Earnings Preview: What to Expect From Merck & Co.'s Report

Based in Rahway, New Jersey, Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) operates in the pharmaceutical and animal health sectors. Commanding a massive market cap of $314.5 billion, the company is best known for its groundbreaking cancer drug Keytruda and a wide range of vaccines and veterinary products. The company is set to release its fiscal Q2 earnings results before the market opens on Tuesday, Jul. 30.

Ahead of this event, analysts expect MRK to swing to a profit of $2.15 per share, reflecting a dramatic turnaround of 204.4% from a loss per share of $2.06 recorded in the same quarter last year. The company has consistently exceeded Wall Street's earnings expectations over the past four quarters. In the most recent quarter, the company surpassed the consensus EPS estimate by a margin of 6.7% due to stronger-than-expected sales from Keytruda.