37,653 Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Sold by AEGON ASSET MANAGEMENT UK Plc

Key Points

• AEGON Asset Management UK reduced its Merck stake by 3.2%, selling 37,653 shares in the third quarter. It retained 1,132,069 shares, valued at about $164.5 million.
• Merck reported quarterly earnings of $2.49 per share, beating the $2.09 consensus estimate, while revenue of $18.09 billion exceeded expectations and rose 4.7% year over year.
• Analysts’ consensus rating was “Moderate Buy,” with an average price target of $155.74. The article also notes potential pipeline opportunities alongside concerns about generic competition and slower growth in Keytruda and vaccines.

AEGON ASSET MANAGEMENT UK Plc cut its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 3.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,132,069 shares of the company's stock after selling 37,653 shares during the quarter. Merck & Co., Inc. makes up approximately 1.7% of AEGON ASSET MANAGEMENT UK Plc's holdings, making the stock its 14th largest holding. AEGON ASSET MANAGEMENT UK Plc's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $164,501,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Gryphon Financial Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.7% in the third quarter. Gryphon Financial Partners LLC now owns 16,160 shares of the company's stock worth $2,348,000 after acquiring an additional 116 shares in the last quarter. Vestor Capital LLC lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 16,530.7% in the 3rd quarter. Vestor Capital LLC now owns 27,607 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,012,000 after acquiring an additional 27,441 shares in the last quarter. Kestra Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 6.9% in the 3rd quarter. Kestra Investment Management LLC now owns 17,594 shares of the company's stock worth $2,557,000 after purchasing an additional 1,130 shares during the period. Leuthold Group LLC grew its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 9.5% during the 3rd quarter. Leuthold Group LLC now owns 52,353 shares of the company's stock worth $7,607,000 after purchasing an additional 4,550 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Clear Wave Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 39.9% during the 3rd quarter. Clear Wave Wealth Management LLC now owns 8,786 shares of the company's stock worth $1,277,000 after purchasing an additional 2,506 shares in the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Up 1.2%

Shares of NYSE:MRK opened at $148.49 on Tuesday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $146.39 and a two-hundred day moving average of $127.82. The firm has a market capitalization of $366.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.83 and a beta of 0.13. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12-month low of $85.80 and a 12-month high of $156.92. The company has a quick ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 1.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 29th. The company reported $2.49 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.09 by $0.40. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 3.64% and a return on equity of 16.56%. The business had revenue of $18.09 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $17.33 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.58 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc.'s revenue for the quarter was up 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.84 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other news, EVP Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.00, for a total transaction of $1,350,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 36,613 shares in the company, valued at $4,942,755. The trade was a 21.45% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Richard Deluca sold 11,699 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $131.63, for a total value of $1,539,939.37. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 110,167 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $14,501,282.21. The trade was a 9.60% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 102,014 shares of company stock valued at $13,608,779 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.17% of the company's stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck reported positive Phase 2b results for efinopegdutide, an investigational weekly treatment for adults with MASH and stage F2 or F3 liver fibrosis. The findings add a potential new opportunity in liver disease, although the supplied report does not include detailed efficacy results. Article: Merck Announces Positive Results from Phase 2b Trial of Efinopegdutide
• Positive Sentiment: Merck has started the Phase 3 ENHANCE-3 trial of OHTUVAYRE for COPD maintenance treatment. Separately, the FDA granted priority review to sacituzumab tirumotecan for endometrial cancer, advancing two potential growth drivers. Article: Merck Starts ENHANCE 3 COPD Trial As Cancer Drug Review Nears
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck’s collaboration with Tempus AI is expected to contribute to a five-year partnership value of roughly $192.5 million, providing a data and AI-related research tie-up; the article does not detail the financial impact to Merck. Article: The AI Debt Bill Is Coming Due, But Biotech Has Revenue to Show for the Boom
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts describe Merck’s 2027 growth outlook as challenging, citing generic competition, weaker vaccine performance and slowing growth for Keytruda. These pressures could weigh on near-term results, despite the company’s expanding pipeline. Article: MRK's 2027 Outlook Challenging, Long-Term Prospects Promising

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the company. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $142.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, August 20th. Citigroup lifted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, October 12th. Freedom Broker upped their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, November 2nd. Argus initiated coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Tuesday, November 3rd. They issued a "strong-buy" rating for the company. Finally, Barclays raised their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, October 26th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $155.74.

Merck & Co., Inc. Profile

Merck & Co, Inc is a global pharmaceutical company that develops and markets prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies and animal-health products. The company's research and commercial activities span areas including oncology, infectious diseases, vaccines, cardiovascular disease and immunology. Its products include the cancer medicine Keytruda and the Gardasil vaccine.

Founded in the United States in 1891, Merck & Co became an independent company in 1917. It is headquartered in Rahway, New Jersey, and operates internationally.

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