ABN Amro Investment Solutions Has $28.11 Million Holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• ABN Amro Investment Solutions cut its Merck stake by 9.0% in the first quarter, selling 23,180 shares and leaving it with 233,654 shares valued at about $28.1 million.
• Merck still has strong institutional support, with 76.07% of its stock owned by institutional investors, and several other funds made only modest changes to their positions.
• Wall Street remains broadly positive on MRK, with an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $133.94, even as some analysts remain neutral.

ABN Amro Investment Solutions decreased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 9.0% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 233,654 shares of the company's stock after selling 23,180 shares during the quarter. ABN Amro Investment Solutions' holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $28,106,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of MRK. Chesapeake Wealth Management grew its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. Chesapeake Wealth Management now owns 14,740 shares of the company's stock worth $1,552,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. South Plains Financial Inc. lifted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. South Plains Financial Inc. now owns 15,535 shares of the company's stock worth $1,635,000 after buying an additional 89 shares during the period. Syverson Strege & Co lifted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.2% during the 4th quarter. Syverson Strege & Co now owns 4,142 shares of the company's stock worth $436,000 after buying an additional 90 shares during the period. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV grew its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.4% in the 1st 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 during the last quarter. Finally, Westside Investment Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.1% in the 4th quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,142 shares of the company's stock valued at $331,000 after buying an additional 93 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on MRK. Citigroup assumed coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $125.00 price objective for the company. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $120.00 target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Bank of America raised their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $112.00 to $113.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, Scotiabank upped their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $136.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a "sector outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Merck & Co., Inc. currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $133.94.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Summary

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. Price Performance

Shares of MRK opened at $126.27 on Wednesday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52-week low of $76.66 and a 52-week high of $131.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a current ratio of 1.30. The business's 50 day moving average price is $120.65 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $117.29. The firm has a market cap 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.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($1.47) by $0.19. The company had revenue of $16.29 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.85 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 13.59% and a return on equity of 27.55%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.22 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.74 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

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

Merck & Co., Inc. Company 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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.