We recently published Jim Cramer Analyzed These 9 Stocks As He Said Tariffs Are Better Than CIA Coups. Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer recently discussed.\n\nMerck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK), one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, has lost 15% year-to-date on the stock market. Its shares were off to a rocky start in 2025 when the firm’s GARDASIL vaccine faced headwinds in China. Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK)’s shares lost 16.8% in February after the weaknesses led it to miss analyst fourth quarter profit and full year forecasts. Another concern about the firm has been its blockbuster KEYTRUDA vaccine, which is one of the most successful cancer drugs in history. In his previous remarks, Cramer has asserted that Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) has a robust portfolio, which can enable it to overcome the KEYTRUDA shortfall. His recent remarks mentioned the firm’s Verona acquisition:\n\n“Did you see the Merck deal the other day? Verona? Two gentlemen? Getting together, Merck and Verona. You know they’re not gonna block that. That doesn’t even hit the radar, whoever’s in antitrust.”\n\nMerck & Co., Inc. (MRK) Is Unlikely To Face Antitrust Action For Verona Deal, Says Jim Cramer\n\nA close-up of a person's hand holding a bottle of pharmaceuticals.\n\nPreviously, Cramer discussed Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK)’s drug pipeline:\n\n“Yeah, I talked to Rob this morning, really liked this. He thinks he’s got about 50 billion dollars worth of new drugs, which would therefore make it so you should stop worrying about the Keytruda patent expiration in 2028. I am with Rob. I think this COPD is a really important, another important franchise for them the alternative use steroids. And we’ve all be discovering that if you have trouble using steroids, one it becomes less effective over time, and two, the side effects are much worse than people realize. So I think this is a first in class, novel, compound that will make it so, see Merck’s up because we’re starting to get less worried about the expiration. And you know, Rob, I appreciate the fact that Rob is doing the old days, which is you go look at what the younger companies are doing and then you buy them. . .I like this acquisition very much.”\n\nWhile we acknowledge the potential of MRK as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an extremely cheap AI stock that is also a major beneficiary of Trump tariffs and onshoring, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) Is Unlikely To Face Antitrust Action For Verona Deal, Says Jim Cramer

The article discusses Merck & Co., Inc.'s stock performance, challenges with its GARDASIL vaccine in China, and Jim Cramer's analysis of its Verona acquisition and drug pipeline. Cramer asserts the deal is unlikely to face antitrust action and highlights Merck's robust portfolio to offset KEYTRUDA patent expiration risks.