AE Wealth Management LLC Sells 102,481 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• AE Wealth Management cut its stake in Merck by 40.2% in Q4, selling 102,481 shares and retaining 152,507 shares valued at about $16.05 million per its Form 13F.
• Company insiders also pared positions: EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 37,685 shares and EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 121,573 shares, with insiders disposing of 320,176 shares worth $38.28 million over the quarter.
• Analysts are increasingly bullish—Merck holds a consensus "Moderate Buy" with an average target of $128.47 and multiple upgrades (Deutsche Bank $150, Guggenheim $140, UBS $145)—after an EPS beat, FY‑2026 guidance of 5.00–5.15 EPS, and a 2.9% dividend yield.

AE Wealth Management LLC lessened its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 40.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 152,507 shares of the company's stock after selling 102,481 shares during the quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $16,053,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of MRK. Chemung Canal Trust Co. raised its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 21.1% during the third quarter. Chemung Canal Trust Co. now owns 76,338 shares of the company's stock worth $6,407,000 after acquiring an additional 13,285 shares in the last quarter. First Pacific Financial increased its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 14.7% in the third quarter. First Pacific Financial now owns 47,555 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,991,000 after buying an additional 6,082 shares during the period. Diversified Trust Co increased its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 9.6% in the third quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 207,838 shares of the company's stock valued at $17,444,000 after buying an additional 18,187 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 48.9% in the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 97,818 shares of the company's stock valued at $10,296,000 after buying an additional 32,114 shares during the period. Finally, Coldstream Capital Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 12.7% in the third quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 123,366 shares of the company's stock valued at $10,364,000 after buying an additional 13,940 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. 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 research note on Friday, February 13th. Wall Street Zen raised Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, March 28th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Guggenheim upped their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $122.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $128.47.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Up 3.1%

Shares of MRK opened at $118.99 on Friday. The business has a 50-day moving average of $119.12 and a 200 day moving average of $105.86. 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 $293.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 0.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 1.30 and a current ratio of 1.54.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.04 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 analyst estimates of $16.19 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.72 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.000-5.150 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 7th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 16th were paid a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 16th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.9%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 46.70%.

Key Headlines Impacting Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: European Commission approves Merck’s ENFLONSIA (clesrovimab) for prevention of RSV lower respiratory tract disease in infants, giving Merck a new EU commercial opportunity in a pediatric respiratory market. European Commission Approves Merck’s ENFLONSIA
• Positive Sentiment: U.S. FDA grants Priority Review for ifinatamab deruxtecan (co-developed with Daiichi Sankyo) for extensive-stage small cell lung cancer — a potential first-in-class B7-H3 therapy that could materially expand Merck’s oncology franchise if approved. Merck’s Priority Review Cancer Drug Adds To Undervalued Growth Story
• Positive Sentiment: UBS raises its price target on MRK to $145 (from $130) and reiterates a Buy rating, signaling stronger analyst confidence that supports near-term upside and investor sentiment. UBS Raises Merck (MRK) Price Forecast as Part of Sector Preview
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader healthcare sector strength is lifting MRK along with peers today, as the NYSE Health Care Index trades higher — a tailwind but not company-specific. Sector Update: Health Care Stocks Higher Friday Afternoon
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry write-ups and trade ideas (comparisons to Novartis, bullish options strategies) are increasing attention on MRK; these pieces can drive retail interest but are less likely to change fundamentals immediately. Better Pharma Dividend Stock: Novartis vs. Merck

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 37,685 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.92, for a total value of $4,556,870.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 160,174 shares in the company, valued at $19,368,240.08. This trade represents a 19.05% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 121,573 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.15, for a total value of $14,485,422.95. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 68,916 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $8,211,341.40. This represents a 63.82% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 320,176 shares of company stock worth $38,281,735 over the last quarter. Insiders own 0.13% of the company's stock.

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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