143,224 Shares in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Bought by Aware Super Pty Ltd as trustee of Aware Super

Aware Super Pty Ltd as trustee of Aware Super bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund bought 143,224 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $17,228,000.

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

More Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: FDA approval of Lipfendra creates a new commercial growth driver and strengthens Merck’s long-term pipeline diversification. Merck's cholesterol pill gets US FDA approval
• Positive Sentiment: Lipfendra is the first and only once-daily oral PCSK9 inhibitor approved by the FDA, which could give Merck a first-mover advantage in a large cholesterol market. Merck's LIPFENDRA approval release
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts are lifting price targets and fair value estimates, reflecting improved sentiment around Merck’s pipeline and earnings outlook. Merck Snags A First-Of-Its-Kind Approval, And Shares Jump
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck also reported additional positive clinical and regulatory updates for Keytruda and its HIV pipeline, which support the broader investment case but are less immediate than the Lipfendra approval. Merck's HIV Pipeline Nears Key Inflection Point

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MRK has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. 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 reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and set a $120.00 price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Monday, July 6th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $135.00 to $142.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday. Scotiabank lifted their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $136.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a "sector outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $112.00 to $113.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $133.94.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Up 3.3%

Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $127.67 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 stock has a market capitalization of $315.32 billion, a PE ratio of 35.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.26 and a beta of 0.19. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $119.79 and a 200-day simple moving average of $116.86. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12 month low of $76.66 and a 12 month high of $130.29.

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 3.17 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 given a dividend of $0.85 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.7%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio is currently 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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