Adelphi Trust Co Acquires Shares of 10,969 Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Adelphi Trust Co acquired a new stake of 10,969 shares of Merck (MRK) in Q4, valued at about $1.155 million, making MRK ~0.9% of its portfolio and its 29th largest holding.
• Merck beat Q4 EPS estimates ($2.04 vs. $2.01), set FY2026 guidance of $5.00–$5.15 EPS, and recently paid a $0.85 quarterly dividend (annualized $3.40, ~2.9% yield).
• Momentum includes an FDA priority review for Merck/Daiichi’s ifinatamab deruxtecan BLA in small‑cell lung cancer and several analyst upgrades (UBS PT $145), leaving the consensus rating a Moderate Buy with an average target ~ $128.47.

Adelphi Trust Co acquired a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 10,969 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,155,000. Merck & Co., Inc. accounts for approximately 0.9% of Adelphi Trust Co's investment portfolio, making the stock its 29th biggest holding.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Darwin Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 237.4% during the third quarter. Darwin Wealth Management LLC now owns 307 shares of the company's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 216 shares during the last quarter. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 302.3% during the third quarter. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 354 shares of the company's stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 266 shares during the last quarter. United Financial Planning Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the third quarter worth about $31,000. Wealth Watch Advisors INC purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the third quarter worth about $34,000. Finally, Deane Retirement Strategies Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the third quarter worth about $35,000. 76.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 1.6%

Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $118.07 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.30, a current ratio of 1.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $119.26 and a 200 day moving average price of $105.51. Merck & Co., Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $73.31 and a fifty-two week high of $125.14. The firm has a market cap of $291.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.22, a P/E/G ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 0.26.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.04 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.01 by $0.03. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 44.57% and a net margin of 28.08%.The company had revenue of $16.40 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.19 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.72 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc.'s quarterly revenue was up 5.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.000-5.150 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 7th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 16th were given a dividend of $0.85 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 16th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.9%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s payout ratio is currently 46.70%.

More Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: FDA grants priority review to Merck and Daiichi’s BLA for ifinatamab deruxtecan in extensive-stage small cell lung cancer — this accelerates the regulatory timeline for a potentially material oncology asset and could add to future revenue if approved. MRK, Daiichi's BLA for ADC Drug Gets FDA Priority Tag in Lung Cancer
• Positive Sentiment: UBS raised its price target on MRK to $145, signaling bullish analyst sentiment and providing support for longer‑term upside relative to current levels. UBS Group Boosts Merck & Co., Inc. NYSE: MRK Price Target to $145.00
• Positive Sentiment: Keytruda remains the primary growth driver (over half of pharma sales); analysts will be watching Q1 results and guidance for continued uptake from new indications — a clean print would likely stabilize the stock. Will Keytruda Continue to Aid Merck's Top Line in Q1 Earnings?
• Neutral Sentiment: Options/technical coverage: a retail/options piece outlines a bullish diagonal trade targeting $130 by mid‑June — this reflects trader optimism but is speculative and not company‑fundamental. This Merck (MRK) stock bullish diagonal trade targets a price of $130 by June 18
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry tailwinds in animal health highlighted in a market report (Merck’s animal-health unit participates in this market), a long‑term positive structural theme but not an immediate catalyst. Animal Health Market Intelligence Report 2026-2034
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage about Merck KGaA XTRA: MRK appears in the news stream — note this is a different company (German Merck), which can cause ticker confusion among retail investors but does not affect Merck & Co.’s fundamentals. Assessing Merck KGaA XTRA: MRK Valuation After Mixed Recent Share Performance And Healthcare Pipeline Developments
• Negative Sentiment: Media scrutiny of Merck’s patent strategies and pricing for Keytruda (USAToday feature) can increase regulatory and reputational risk; that scrutiny can weigh on sentiment and prompt selling or political/regulatory pressure. How Merck keeps prices for its blockbuster cancer drug sky high
• Negative Sentiment: Near‑term price weakness / market reaction: recent intraday moves show MRK underperforming broader indices, reflecting profit‑taking and caution ahead of earnings/updates. Merck (MRK) Stock Sinks As Market Gains: Here's Why

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MRK has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $150.00 price objective for the company in a report on Friday, February 13th. Wall Street Zen raised Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, March 28th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $142.00 price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Monday, March 30th. Finally, TD Cowen boosted their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $128.47.

Insider Buying and Selling at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other news, CFO Caroline Litchfield sold 41,997 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.61, for a total transaction of $5,023,261.17. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 90,192 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,787,865.12. The trade was a 31.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Robert M. Davis sold 47,434 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.04, for a total value of $5,599,109.36. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 443,602 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $52,362,780.08. This represents a 9.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 320,176 shares of company stock valued at $38,281,735. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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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