11,647 Shares in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Bought by Oslo Pensjonsforsikring AS

Key Points

• Oslo Pensjonsforsikring AS bought a new stake in Merck during the first quarter, acquiring 11,647 shares worth about $1.4 million.
• Institutional ownership in Merck remains high, with hedge funds and other institutional investors holding about 76.07% of the company’s shares.
• Analysts remain broadly positive on Merck: recent price-target increases from Guggenheim and Bank of America helped keep the stock at a Moderate Buy consensus with an average target price of $133.94.

Oslo Pensjonsforsikring AS acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 11,647 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,401,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MRK. Kingdom Financial Group LLC. purchased a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Abound Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Prosperity Bancshares Inc purchased a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. High Note Wealth LLC increased its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 58.9% during the 4th quarter. High Note Wealth LLC now owns 294 shares of the company's stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 109 shares in the last quarter. Finally, IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. purchased a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently commented on MRK. Guggenheim increased their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Bank of America raised their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. Weiss Ratings downgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $120.00 price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and set a $142.00 price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $133.94.

Key Stories Impacting Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck and Gilead announced that Phase 3 data from the investigational once-weekly oral HIV regimen combining islatravir and lenacapavir will be presented at AIDS 2026, with the primary endpoint showing maintained viral suppression in adults who switched therapies. The update highlights progress in a potentially important HIV program and could support long-term growth expectations. Article: Investigational Once-Weekly Oral HIV Treatment Regimen of Islatravir and Lenacapavir Maintained Virological Suppression in Adults With HIV Who Switched Antiretroviral Therapy
• Positive Sentiment: Phanes Therapeutics expanded its clinical trial collaboration with Merck to evaluate spevatamig with KEYTRUDA and chemotherapy in first-line biliary tract cancer. More combination-trial activity around KEYTRUDA reinforces Merck’s oncology franchise and keeps the company involved in additional mid- to long-term growth opportunities. Article: Phanes Therapeutics Announces Expansion of Clinical Trial Collaboration and Supply Agreement with Merck to Evaluate Spevatamig in Combination with KEYTRUDA® (Pembrolizumab) and Chemotherapy for Treatment of Biliary Tract Cancer
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst-focused coverage repeated the view that Wall Street’s bullish average rating suggests Merck is worth considering, but the article also questioned how reliable consensus broker recommendations are as a signal. This is more of a sentiment check than a new fundamental catalyst. Article: Is It Worth Investing in Merck (MRK) Based on Wall Street's Bullish Views?
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent media commentary also noted that Merck had declined more than the broader market in the prior session and that one rating was lowered to Hold, but these items do not appear to reflect a major company-specific setback. Instead, they suggest some near-term caution after the recent move. Article: Merck (MRK) Declines More Than Market: Some Information for Investors
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage from Barron’s focused on what comes after Keytruda, underscoring investor concern about Merck’s long-term dependence on its flagship cancer drug and the need for a future standard-of-care franchise. That narrative can weigh on valuation if investors worry about the post-Keytruda pipeline. Article: What Comes After Merck's Keytruda? The Race for the Next Standard Cancer Treatment.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Up 1.5%

Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $126.27 on Wednesday. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $311.86 billion, a PE ratio of 35.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.95 and a beta of 0.19. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $120.65 and a 200-day simple moving average of $117.29. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12 month low of $76.66 and a 12 month high of $131.74.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of ($1.47) by $0.19. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 27.55% and a net margin of 13.59%.The firm had revenue of $16.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.85 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.22 EPS. The business'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. On average, analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.74 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th were issued a dividend of $0.85 per share. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 95.77%.

About Merck & Co., Inc.

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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