Is Merck Stock a Buy?

With its portfolio of cancer medicines and one of the pharma industry's most recognizable names, it's no surprise that investors are curious about whether to buy shares of Merck (NYSE: MRK). But with a total return of just 54% over the last five years, far underperforming the S&P 500's gain of 107%, it's also natural to wonder whether its next half-decade is going to be one of outperformance, or more struggling.In my view, based on what's coming up for Merck, it's likely that investors with some patience will find the stock to be more appealing.Understanding the investment thesis for Merck requires appreciating the importance of its blockbuster cancer drug, Keytruda, to its finances. Right now, in the U.S. the drug is approved for 40 different oncology indications, and where it doesn't already have them, Merck is in the process of seeking approvals for most of the same indications in major international markets like the E.U. and Japan.Continue readingWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei MotleyFool Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei MotleyFool