Analyst Ratings February 18, 2026

Piper Sandler trims Merit Medical target, keeps Overweight rating amid mixed signals

Analyst pares price objective to $106 from $113 as valuation stays near multi-year lows; earnings and board changes in focus

By Caleb Monroe MMSI
Piper Sandler trims Merit Medical target, keeps Overweight rating amid mixed signals
MMSI

Piper Sandler reduced its 12-month price target for Merit Medical Systems (MMSI) to $106 from $113 while retaining an Overweight recommendation. The stock is trading well below the new target and close to its 52-week low as investors await an upcoming earnings report and consider recent coverage and leadership changes.

Key Points

  • Piper Sandler cut Merit Medical's price target to $106 from $113 but kept an Overweight rating; shares traded at $81.59, near a 52-week low.
  • Investors await Merit Medical's earnings release on February 24 to confirm 11.4% revenue growth and assess gross margin developments; current gross profit margin is 48.47%.
  • Liquidity and long-range planning appear supportive - a CGI 3-year plan runs through 2026, WRAPSODY is described as largely de-risked, and the company shows a current ratio of 4.28.

Piper Sandler adjusted its outlook on Merit Medical Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:MMSI) by cutting the firm's price target to $106 from $113 but maintaining an Overweight rating on the shares. At the time of the note, Merit Medical was trading at $81.59, roughly 26% beneath Piper Sandler's revised target and hovering near a 52-week low of $77.62.

The timing of the revision comes during earnings season, with Merit Medical having already pre-announced revenue for the period. The company is scheduled to release a full earnings report in six days on February 24, and investors will be watching to see whether the results confirm the 11.4% revenue growth Merit has recorded over the last twelve months.

Piper Sandler highlighted expectations for upside surprises in gross margin percentage, noting that management could take a conservative tone on forward guidance. The firm suggested that guarded guidance could prompt analysts to revise Street estimates upward after the earnings call. Separately, InvestingPro data cited in the analysis shows Merit Medical's current gross profit margin at 48.47%.

Analysts referenced a CGI 3-year long-range plan through 2026 as establishing a baseline for expectations, and described WRAPSODY as largely de-risked at present. Liquidity metrics appear strong: InvestingPro analysis indicates Merit Medical holds liquid assets in excess of short-term obligations, reflected by a current ratio of 4.28.

Valuation remains a focal point. Piper Sandler observed that the stock is trading near five-year lows. Merit’s price-to-earnings multiple stands at 42.19, even as InvestingPro's Fair Value assessment signals the stock may be undervalued on that basis.

Other broker activity and corporate developments add context to the picture. BTIG has initiated coverage of Merit Medical with a Buy rating and set a price target of $107.00; BTIG analyst Sam Eiber pointed to the breadth of Merit’s product portfolio and the company's integration into customer supply chains, supported by manufacturing and research and development infrastructure.

On the corporate governance front, Merit Medical named F. Ann Millner as Chair of the Board, effective January 5, 2026. That appointment follows the resignation of company founder Fred P. Lampropoulos, who ended a 38-year association with the firm after previously stepping down as Executive Chair and earlier as President and CEO. These leadership changes are prominent in considerations of the company’s strategic direction and how the market perceives its prospects.

Investors and analysts monitoring Merit ahead of the upcoming report will weigh the interplay of margin dynamics, liquidity, valuation multiples, and recent corporate developments. The combination of a lowered target from Piper Sandler, new coverage from BTIG, and a leadership transition creates a set of factors market participants will parse as fresh financial details are released.


Contextual note: The figures and statements above reflect the data and analyst commentary provided in the company and broker notes referenced in this report.

Risks

  • Conservative forward guidance from management could temper near-term sentiment and create uncertainty for Street estimates, affecting investor expectations in the healthcare equipment sector.
  • Valuation tensions persist with the stock trading near five-year lows despite a high P/E of 42.19, which could influence how investors in medical devices and healthcare supplies view the stock.
  • Leadership changes at the board level following the founder's resignation may create strategic uncertainty that market participants will need to monitor.

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