Adams Diversified Equity Fund Inc. Sells 8,600 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Adams Diversified Equity Fund trimmed its Merck stake by 2.8% in the first quarter, selling 8,600 shares and leaving it with 300,200 shares valued at about $36.1 million.
• Merck has been getting a series of positive regulatory wins, including FDA approval for Keytruda-based treatment in advanced triple-negative breast cancer and EU approval for Keytruda plus Padcev in bladder cancer.
• The company recently beat quarterly earnings and revenue estimates, and it also declared a $0.85 per share quarterly dividend to be paid on July 8, underscoring its ongoing profitability and shareholder returns.

Adams Diversified Equity Fund Inc. decreased its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 2.8% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 300,200 shares of the company's stock after selling 8,600 shares during the quarter. Merck & Co., Inc. comprises 1.3% of Adams Diversified Equity Fund Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 18th biggest holding. Adams Diversified Equity Fund Inc.'s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $36,111,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of MRK. D.A. Davidson & CO. grew its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 4.4% in the fourth quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 576,959 shares of the company's stock worth $60,731,000 after purchasing an additional 24,576 shares in the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 48.9% during the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 97,818 shares of the company's stock valued at $10,296,000 after purchasing an additional 32,114 shares in the last quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 12.7% in the 3rd quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 123,366 shares of the company's stock worth $10,364,000 after buying an additional 13,940 shares during the period. Campbell Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 3rd quarter worth $1,866,000. Finally, Norris Perne & French LLP MI grew its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 12.8% during the 4th quarter. Norris Perne & French LLP MI now owns 252,162 shares of the company's stock worth $26,543,000 after buying an additional 28,635 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 76.07% of the company's stock.

More Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck announced FDA approval for Keytruda and Keytruda Qlex, each combined with Gilead’s Trodelvy, as a first-line treatment for PD-L1+ advanced triple-negative breast cancer, expanding a major revenue-driving franchise. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Merck also won EU approval for Keytruda plus Padcev in resectable muscle-invasive bladder cancer patients who cannot receive cisplatin chemotherapy, another label expansion that could support future sales. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Merck’s collaboration with Gilead continues to generate attention after positive HIV trial results, helping reinforce confidence in the company’s research pipeline and strategic partnerships. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck was highlighted in CNBC’s “Final Trades,” which reflects ongoing market attention but does not by itself change the company’s fundamentals. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks noted that MRK is a trending stock, suggesting elevated investor interest rather than a specific new operating development. Article Title

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of MRK stock opened at $128.35 on Friday. The stock's 50-day moving average is $116.08 and its 200 day moving average is $114.33. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1-year low of $76.66 and a 1-year high of $128.78. 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 company has a market cap of $316.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.15, a PEG ratio of 2.89 and a beta of 0.21.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($1.47) by $0.19. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 13.59% and a return on equity of 27.55%. The business had revenue of $16.29 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.85 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.22 earnings per share. The firm'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. Research analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.85 per share. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.'s payout ratio is 95.77%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MRK has been the topic of several research reports. Zacks Research upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 17th. CICC Research assumed coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Wednesday. They set an "outperform" rating and a $138.00 target price on the stock. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $142.00 target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday, March 30th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, June 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $128.72.

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.

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.