Assetmark Inc. Acquires 57,422 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Assetmark Inc. increased its Merck stake by 32.8% in the first quarter, buying 57,422 additional shares and bringing its total holdings to 232,295 shares worth about $27.9 million.
• Institutional interest in Merck remains strong, with several other funds also adding shares and 76.07% of the stock owned by institutional investors.
• Merck has been supported by positive company news, including FDA approval of LIPFENDRA—its first oral PCSK9 inhibitor—and continued oncology pipeline progress as analysts look ahead to the eventual Keytruda patent expiration.

Assetmark Inc. raised its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 32.8% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 232,295 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 57,422 shares during the quarter. Assetmark Inc.'s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $27,943,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Gould Asset Management LLC CA increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.4% during the first quarter. Gould Asset Management LLC CA now owns 2,882 shares of the company's stock valued at $347,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares during the period. Main Street Group LTD bought a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the first quarter worth $62,000. Angeles Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 9.1% during the first quarter. Angeles Wealth Management LLC now owns 37,583 shares of the company's stock worth $4,553,000 after buying an additional 3,138 shares in the last quarter. Clearstead Trust LLC boosted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 1.1% during the first quarter. Clearstead Trust LLC now owns 19,453 shares of the company's stock worth $2,340,000 after buying an additional 220 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Financiere des Professionnels Fonds d investissement inc. increased its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 29.7% in the 1st quarter. Financiere des Professionnels Fonds d investissement inc. now owns 95,016 shares of the company's stock valued at $11,429,000 after buying an additional 21,752 shares during the period. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: The FDA approval of LIPFENDRA gives Merck its first oral PCSK9 inhibitor, opening a new revenue stream in cardiovascular care and strengthening its non-oncology portfolio. Reuters article on FDA approval
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts highlighted continued oncology pipeline progress, including FDA acceptance of multiple regulatory filings and Merck’s broader effort to offset the eventual 2028 Keytruda patent cliff. Seeking Alpha article on pipeline expansion
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage also noted that Lipfendra’s launch is expected soon and that the drug could become a major product over time, though sales will depend on uptake, pricing, and competition from existing cholesterol therapies. Zacks article on Lipfendra launch
• Neutral Sentiment: There was also a rumor that Merck may be in a takeover battle for genomics company Personalis, but this appears speculative and is not confirmed. Yahoo Finance article on Personalis rumor

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. CICC Research initiated coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $138.00 price objective for the company. Bank of America upped their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $141.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued a "neutral" rating and issued a $120.00 price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday, July 6th. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Finally, Citigroup initiated coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $125.00 price objective on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $133.94.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 0.1%

Shares of MRK opened at $127.47 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $314.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.91, a PEG ratio of 4.39 and a beta of 0.19. Merck & Co., Inc. has a one year low of $76.66 and a one year high of $131.74. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $120.11 and its 200-day simple moving average is $116.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.30 and a quick ratio of 1.06.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of ($1.47) by $0.19. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 27.55% and a net margin of 13.59%.The firm had revenue of $16.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $15.85 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.22 EPS. The business'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. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.76 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th were paid a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.7%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 95.77%.

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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