ABN Amro Investment Solutions lifted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 32.3% in the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 309,009 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 75,355 shares during the quarter. ABN Amro Investment Solutions' holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $39,708,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Several other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 254,322,763 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,770,014,000 after acquiring an additional 2,185,853 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 1.6% in the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 120,040,168 shares of the company's stock valued at $12,737,504,000 after purchasing an additional 1,859,990 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 14.8% in the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 86,435,458 shares of the company's stock valued at $9,098,196,000 after purchasing an additional 11,156,354 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 60,047,984 shares of the company's stock worth $6,307,572,000 after purchasing an additional 249,110 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 44,946,021 shares of the company's stock worth $4,731,018,000 after purchasing an additional 359,486 shares during the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance
NYSE MRK opened at $135.78 on Monday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $77.58 and a fifty-two week high of $135.97. The stock's 50-day moving average is $125.54 and its two-hundred day moving average is $120.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.32 and a quick ratio of 1.10. The firm has a market cap of $334.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 108.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.86 and a beta of 0.19.
Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.26) by $0.13. The company had revenue of $16.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $16.37 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 16.73% and a net margin of 4.77%.The business's quarterly revenue was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.13 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.77 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement
The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be given a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.5%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 272.00%.
Key Stories Impacting Merck & Co., Inc.
Here are the key news stories impacting Merck & Co., Inc. this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade and higher valuations: Daiwa Securities upgraded MRK from “neutral” to “outperform” and set a $143 price target. Other analysts have raised fair-value estimates into the $140–$155 range, citing pipeline progress, business-development activity and late-stage therapies. Daiwa Securities upgrade
- Positive Sentiment: Business momentum remains supportive: MRK recently touched a record high, while Keytruda demand, oncology products, new launches and Animal Health helped drive quarterly revenue of $16.61 billion, above the $16.37 billion consensus estimate. The company also exceeded earnings expectations and reported 5.1% year-over-year revenue growth. Merck fair value and pipeline progress
- Positive Sentiment: Income and diversification appeal: Merck declared its regular $0.85 quarterly dividend, or $3.40 annualized, while potential expansion of ENFLONSIA for RSV prevention could broaden growth beyond oncology.
- Neutral Sentiment: Insider selling warrants monitoring: EVP Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares for $1.35 million, following substantial sales by executives Jennifer Zachary and Richard Deluca. Each executive retained a meaningful stake, so the transactions may reflect personal financial decisions rather than a deteriorating outlook. Merck insider selling report
- Negative Sentiment: Keytruda concentration is a future risk: Patent expiration and increasing competition could pressure Merck’s largest growth driver. Investors will need evidence that the pipeline and newer products can offset eventual Keytruda sales declines. Keytruda growth outlook
Analysts Set New Price Targets
A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on MRK shares. Guggenheim lifted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $146.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Daiwa Securities Group raised Merck & Co., Inc. from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $143.00 price target for the company in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. Cantor Fitzgerald restated a "neutral" rating and issued a $120.00 price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Monday, July 6th. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $135.00 to $142.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $135.50.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Merck & Co., Inc.
Insiders Place Their Bets
In other news, EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 11,699 shares of the business's stock in a transaction 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 in the company, valued at approximately $14,501,282.21. The trade was a 9.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 80,315 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.46, for a total transaction of $10,718,839.90. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 45,509 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,073,631.14. This represents a 63.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 228,238 shares of company stock valued at $29,977,783 in the last three months. Company insiders own 0.17% of the company's stock.
About Merck & Co., Inc.
(
Free Report)
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.
Featured Stories
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.
Continue following MarketBeat
Add MarketBeat as your preferred source on Google to see our latest stories in your feed.
Before you consider Merck & Co., Inc., you'll want to hear this.
MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and Merck & Co., Inc. wasn't on the list.
While Merck & Co., Inc. currently has a Moderate Buy rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.
View The Five Stocks Here
Tesla, Nvidia, and Google helped shape the last era of market growth, but the next wave could come from a new group of companies. Inside this report, you’ll find 7 stocks that could play a major role in the next tech-driven market boom.
Get This Free Report
