Benjamin Edwards Inc. Trims Position in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Benjamin Edwards Inc. trimmed its Merck stake by 4.3% in Q4, selling 21,391 shares and ending the quarter with 472,544 shares valued at about $49.75 million.
• Merck beat Q1 expectations—reporting $16.29 billion in revenue and adjusted EPS above Street forecasts—and set FY‑2026 guidance of $5.04–$5.16 EPS with a narrowed sales range ($65.8B–$67.0B); analysts hold a consensus "Moderate Buy" rating with a $128.18 price target.
• Insider and institutional activity: insiders sold 320,176 shares (~$38.3M) in the past 90 days (insider ownership 0.17%), while institutional investors own 76.07% of Merck stock and large funds like Vanguard modestly increased holdings.

Benjamin Edwards Inc. lessened its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 4.3% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 472,544 shares of the company's stock after selling 21,391 shares during the quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc.'s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $49,746,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 254,322,763 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,770,014,000 after buying an additional 2,185,853 shares in the last quarter. DLD Asset Management LP grew its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 30.1% during the 3rd quarter. DLD Asset Management LP now owns 47,500,000 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,986,675,000 after buying an additional 11,000,000 shares in the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc grew its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 5.9% during the 3rd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 20,659,157 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,733,923,000 after buying an additional 1,156,112 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 16.6% during the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 19,844,936 shares of the company's stock worth $1,665,585,000 after purchasing an additional 2,821,766 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ameriprise Financial Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 20.7% during the third quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 15,933,909 shares of the company's stock worth $1,336,877,000 after purchasing an additional 2,735,459 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently commented on the company. Wall Street Zen raised Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, March 28th. 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, April 6th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $145.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Friday. Finally, Zacks Research raised Merck & Co., Inc. from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. One 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. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $128.18.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat expectations — Merck posted revenue and adjusted EPS above Street forecasts with Keytruda and Winrevair driving growth; the beats and upbeat commentary lifted investor sentiment. Merck tops Q1 estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Regulatory approvals & pipeline progress expand addressable markets — Merck won FDA approval for a new 2‑drug HIV regimen (IDVYNSO) and EC approval for ENFLONSIA for RSV prevention; the company also dosed the first patient in Phase 3 enpatoran lupus trials, adding long‑term growth optionality. Merck expands beyond oncology
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst action mixed — Wells Fargo trimmed its price target to $145 but kept an Overweight rating, signaling continued confidence despite a modestly lower PT. Wells Fargo lowers PT
• Neutral Sentiment: FY‑2026 guidance and outlook — Merck provided EPS guidance of $5.04–$5.16 and a narrowed sales view ($65.8B–$67.0B). Guidance is close to consensus but tighter ranges mean less revenue upside visibility near term. Merck Q1 financial results
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector context — Biotech peers are mixed (Moderna saw vaccine revenue rebound but its stock fell; Organon missed), so some moves reflect broader healthcare rotation rather than Merck‑specific news. Moderna Covid vaccine drives growth
• Negative Sentiment: Acquisition-related charge produced a GAAP loss — A Cidara-related charge drove a quarterly GAAP loss, which clouds headline profitability despite the operational beat. Merck posts quarterly loss due to Cidara charge
• Negative Sentiment: Longer-term growth risks flagged — Coverage noted potential future pressure from lost sales on some products (e.g., competitive threats to Keytruda, HPV and diabetes medicines) and Merck said it is working on mitigations. That risk keeps some investors cautious. Merck stock falls after earnings

Insider Activity at Merck & Co., Inc.

In related news, CMO Chirfi Guindo sold 20,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.88, for a total transaction of $2,437,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief marketing officer owned 80,615 shares in the company, valued at $9,825,356.20. This represents a 19.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 37,685 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.92, for a total value of $4,556,870.20. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 160,174 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $19,368,240.08. This represents a 19.05% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 320,176 shares of company stock valued at $38,281,735 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.17% of the company's stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $112.30 on Friday. 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 company has a market cap of $277.36 billion, a PE ratio of 31.63, a P/E/G ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 0.19. The business has a 50 day moving average of $117.69 and a 200 day moving average of $107.54. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52 week low of $73.31 and a 52 week high of $125.14.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last announced its 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 the consensus estimate of $15.85 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 26.84% and a net margin of 13.59%.The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.22 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 4.9 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. 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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