11,045 Shares in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Acquired by Nicholas Wealth LLC.

Key Points

• Nicholas Wealth LLC initiated a new position in Merck & Co. during the first quarter, buying 11,045 shares valued at about $1.33 million. The stake represents roughly 0.9% of its portfolio and makes Merck its 27th-largest holding.
• Analysts remain generally positive on Merck, with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $128.72. Several firms recently reiterated or adjusted bullish targets, though Citigroup maintained a neutral view.
• Merck’s latest quarter topped expectations, and the company also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.85 per share payable July 8. In addition, recent FDA and EU approvals for Keytruda-based treatments could support future growth.

Nicholas Wealth LLC. bought a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 11,045 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,329,000. Merck & Co., Inc. accounts for about 0.9% of Nicholas Wealth LLC.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 27th largest holding.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Chesapeake Wealth Management raised its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. Chesapeake Wealth Management now owns 14,740 shares of the company's stock worth $1,552,000 after buying an additional 87 shares in the last quarter. South Plains Financial Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. South Plains Financial Inc. now owns 15,535 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,635,000 after buying an additional 89 shares during the period. Syverson Strege & Co boosted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.2% during the fourth quarter. Syverson Strege & Co now owns 4,142 shares of the company's stock valued at $436,000 after buying an additional 90 shares in the last quarter. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV boosted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.4% during the first quarter. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV now owns 23,433 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,819,000 after buying an additional 91 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Westside Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.1% during the fourth quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,142 shares of the company's stock worth $331,000 after acquiring an additional 93 shares during the period. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on MRK shares. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $145.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 1st. CICC Research initiated coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Wednesday. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $138.00 target price on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and set a $142.00 target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Monday, March 30th. Finally, Citigroup assumed coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $125.00 price target on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $128.72.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Up 2.3%

MRK stock opened at $128.35 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.30 and a quick ratio of 1.06. The firm has a market capitalization of $316.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.15, a P/E/G ratio of 2.89 and a beta of 0.21. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52-week low of $76.66 and a 52-week high of $128.78. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $116.08 and its 200-day simple moving average is $114.33.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($1.47) by $0.19. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 13.59% and a return on equity of 27.55%. The firm had revenue of $16.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.85 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.22 EPS. The company's revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.17 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be given a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 95.77%.

Key Merck & Co., Inc. News

Here are the key news stories impacting Merck & Co., Inc. this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Merck announced FDA approval for Keytruda and Keytruda Qlex, each combined with Gilead’s Trodelvy, as a first-line treatment for PD-L1+ advanced triple-negative breast cancer, expanding a major revenue-driving franchise. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Merck also won EU approval for Keytruda plus Padcev in resectable muscle-invasive bladder cancer patients who cannot receive cisplatin chemotherapy, another label expansion that could support future sales. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Merck’s collaboration with Gilead continues to generate attention after positive HIV trial results, helping reinforce confidence in the company’s research pipeline and strategic partnerships. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck was highlighted in CNBC’s “Final Trades,” which reflects ongoing market attention but does not by itself change the company’s fundamentals. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks noted that MRK is a trending stock, suggesting elevated investor interest rather than a specific new operating development. Article Title

Merck & Co., Inc. Profile

Merck & Co, Inc is a global biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery, development, manufacture and marketing of prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies and animal health products. Its portfolio spans multiple therapeutic areas with a particular emphasis on oncology, vaccines and infectious disease, as well as therapies for metabolic and chronic conditions. Among its well-known products are the cancer immunotherapy Keytruda (pembrolizumab) and the human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil; the company also markets a range of medicines and vaccines for veterinary use through Merck Animal Health.

Founded in the late 19th century as the U.S.

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