Assenagon Asset Management S.A. Purchases 201,642 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Assenagon Asset Management increased its Merck stake by 37.2% in the first quarter, buying 201,642 additional shares. The firm now holds 743,214 shares valued at about $89.4 million.
• Merck reported mixed but generally solid operating results, including Q1 EPS of -$1.28 that beat expectations and revenue of $16.29 billion, up 4.9% year over year. The company also reaffirmed FY 2026 EPS guidance of 5.04 to 5.16.
• Recent developments around the company are mostly positive, including Phase 3 success for tulisokibart, European approval for Keytruda plus Padcev, and a wave of supportive analyst calls. Wall Street’s consensus remains Moderate Buy with an average price target of $128.72.

Assenagon Asset Management S.A. raised its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 37.2% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 743,214 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 201,642 shares during the period. Assenagon Asset Management S.A.'s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $89,401,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Kingdom Financial Group LLC. bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Abound Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Prosperity Bancshares Inc acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. United Financial Planning Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the third quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, High Note Wealth LLC grew its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 58.9% during the fourth quarter. High Note Wealth LLC now owns 294 shares of the company's stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 109 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck’s tulisokibart met its endpoint in a Phase 3 ulcerative colitis study, strengthening confidence in the company’s immunology pipeline and offering a possible future growth driver. Merck's Anti-TL1A Antibody Meets Goal in Ulcerative Colitis Study
• Positive Sentiment: The European Commission approved Keytruda in combination with Padcev for cisplatin-ineligible patients with resectable muscle-invasive bladder cancer, which could support oncology sales and broaden Keytruda’s international use. European Commission Approves KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab) Plus Padcev®
• Positive Sentiment: CICC Research initiated coverage on Merck with an outperform rating and a $138 price target, signaling Wall Street expects further upside from current levels. Benzinga report on CICC coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Citi maintained its hold rating on Merck, suggesting a more cautious view but no major change in the stock thesis. Citi Keeps Their Hold Rating on Merck & Company (MRK)
• Positive Sentiment: Scotiabank reaffirmed its buy rating on Merck, adding to the bullish analyst backdrop. Scotiabank Reaffirms Their Buy Rating on Merck & Company (MRK)

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of MRK opened at $120.74 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1 year low of $76.66 and a 1 year high of $125.14. The stock has a market cap of $298.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.69 and a beta of 0.21. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $115.77 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $114.05.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of ($1.47) by $0.19. The company had revenue of $16.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $15.85 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 27.55% and a net margin of 13.59%.Merck & Co., Inc.'s revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.22 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.17 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be issued a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.8%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s payout ratio is 95.77%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on MRK. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, April 6th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $145.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 1st. Zacks Research upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. Wall Street Zen raised Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, June 6th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and set a $142.00 target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday, March 30th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $128.72.

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.

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