Bank of New York Mellon Corp Reduces Stock Holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Bank of New York Mellon cut its Merck stake by 12.1% in the fourth quarter, though it still held about 19.2 million shares valued at roughly $2.0 billion.
• Merck reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of ($1.28) versus estimates of ($1.47) and revenue of $16.29 billion topping forecasts. The company also reaffirmed a FY 2026 EPS guidance range of 5.04 to 5.16.
• Recent developments around Merck’s pipeline and franchise remain positive, including an FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation for calderasib, encouraging long-term melanoma data with Moderna, and reports of potential EU momentum for Keytruda.

Bank of New York Mellon Corp lowered its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 12.1% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 19,164,526 shares of the company's stock after selling 2,629,828 shares during the quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp owned about 0.77% of Merck & Co., Inc. worth $2,017,258,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Kingdom Financial Group LLC. purchased a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. United Financial Planning Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the third quarter worth about $31,000. High Note Wealth LLC grew its position 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 worth $31,000 after buying an additional 109 shares in the last quarter. Tucker Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Finally, Wealth Watch Advisors INC acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the third quarter valued at approximately $34,000. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Up 0.6%

Shares of MRK stock opened at $115.89 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02. The stock has a market cap of $286.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.65, a P/E/G ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 0.21. Merck & Co., Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $75.43 and a fifty-two week high of $125.14. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $116.42 and a 200-day simple moving average of $111.81.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of ($1.47) by $0.19. The business had revenue of $16.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.85 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 27.55% and a net margin of 13.59%.The business's revenue for the quarter was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.22 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.16 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The business 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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.9%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 95.77%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. UBS Group increased their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, April 13th. Barclays started coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Friday, February 20th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $140.00 price objective for the company. Weiss Ratings cut Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Cantor Fitzgerald raised their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $116.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Guggenheim raised their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $122.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $128.18.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck said the FDA granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation for calderasib in combination with Keytruda for certain newly diagnosed metastatic KRAS G12C-mutant non-small cell lung cancer patients, which may speed development and improve the drug’s commercial outlook. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Moderna and Merck presented five-year data for their melanoma combination therapy, showing a 49% reduction in recurrence or death risk versus Keytruda alone, reinforcing confidence in Merck’s oncology pipeline and Keytruda’s franchise. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Reports highlighted possible new EU approval momentum for Keytruda, which would expand the drug’s reach outside the U.S. and support future revenue growth. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Merck announced a quarterly dividend, reinforcing its shareholder-return profile and signaling financial stability. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Merck is also strengthening its capital structure with a notes offering, which may improve liquidity and financial flexibility. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck will participate in the Goldman Sachs Global Healthcare Conference, a routine investor event that could provide updates but does not by itself change fundamentals. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary from Jim Cramer noting that Merck’s cancer dominance has been challenged by J&J is more of a competitive observation than a direct catalyst, but it underscores pressure in oncology. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Reuters reported Merck is discussing whether its COVID antiviral molnupiravir could be used in the Ebola response; this is potentially meaningful, but still exploratory. Article Title

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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