Leerink Partners Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for McKesson (NYSE:MCK) Stock

McKesson (NYSE:MCK) had its price target hoisted by stock analysts at Leerink Partners from $1,070.00 to $1,200.00 in a research report issued on Thursday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an “outperform” rating on the stock. Leerink Partners‘s target price indicates a potential upside of 13.12% from the stock’s current price.

A number of other analysts also recently weighed in on MCK. Wall Street Zen upgraded McKesson from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, October 17th. TD Cowen increased their price target on shares of McKesson from $989.00 to $1,006.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $950.00 price target (down from $1,000.00) on shares of McKesson in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of McKesson from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Friday, September 4th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price objective on shares of McKesson from $845.00 to $965.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Thursday. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,026.18.

McKesson Price Performance

NYSE MCK traded down $11.21 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $1,060.79. 812,129 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 691,239. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $938.13 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $868.12. McKesson has a 1 year low of $723.68 and a 1 year high of $1,121.50. The company has a market cap of $123.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 0.27.

McKesson (NYSE:MCK) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 4th. The company reported $11.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $10.72 by $0.96. The firm had revenue of $110.96 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $109.90 billion. McKesson had a negative return on equity of 253.21% and a net margin of 1.12%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $9.86 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that McKesson will post 45.26 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at McKesson

In other news, Director Bradley E. Lerman sold 301 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $892.33, for a total transaction of $268,591.33. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CAO Napoleon B. Rutledge, Jr. sold 111 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $891.45, for a total value of $98,950.95. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 521 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $464,445.45. This represents a 17.56% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold 2,462 shares of company stock valued at $2,511,106 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.06% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of McKesson

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of MCK. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in McKesson in the second quarter worth $8,156,743,000. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new position in shares of McKesson during the second quarter valued at approximately $998,896,000. Legal & General Group Plc bought a new stake in McKesson in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $656,566,000. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company purchased a new stake in McKesson during the 2nd quarter valued at $651,462,000. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new stake in McKesson during the 2nd quarter valued at $599,060,000. 85.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting McKesson

Here are the key news stories impacting McKesson this week:

• Positive Sentiment: McKesson beat fiscal Q2 2027 estimates, reporting adjusted EPS of $11.68 and revenue of about $111 billion, up roughly 7.5% year over year. The company also raised its fiscal 2027 adjusted EPS outlook to $45.60–$46.40, supported by specialty-drug demand, higher prescription volumes and operating gains. MCK Q2 Earnings Beat Estimates on Specialty Growth, Outlook Raised
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment has strengthened: UBS raised its price target to $1,250 and maintained a Buy rating, while TD Cowen and Leerink Partners lifted targets to $1,200. Separately, Zacks upgraded MCK to Rank #2 (Buy), citing improving earnings prospects. Zacks upgrades McKesson to Buy
• Neutral Sentiment: EVP Francisco Fraga sold 650 shares under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan and retained 4,414 shares. The filing does not explain the purpose of this latest sale; an earlier sale was described as covering tax withholding on vested equity awards. SEC filing
• Negative Sentiment: RBC raised its price target but kept a Sector Perform rating and set a $965 target, below the recent share price. That more cautious view may temper enthusiasm after MCK’s strong run. RBC comments on McKesson’s execution

McKesson Company Profile

McKesson Corporation is a healthcare services and information technology company that distributes pharmaceuticals and other medical products. Its customers include pharmacies, hospitals, health systems, clinics and other healthcare providers.

The company also provides medical-surgical supplies and technology and services that support pharmacy operations, prescription management and care delivery. Its offerings include specialized support for oncology and other areas of care.

Founded in 1833, McKesson serves customers primarily in the United States and Canada.