Bollard Group LLC Has $13.90 Million Stock Holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Bollard Group LLC cut its Merck position by 23.8% in the fourth quarter, selling 41,293 shares and leaving it with 132,074 shares worth about $13.9 million.
• Merck shares were down 1.4% in Friday trading, with the stock opening at $119.05; the company remains a large-cap name with a market value of about $294.04 billion.
• Merck beat quarterly earnings and revenue expectations, and it also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.85 per share to be paid July 8, which annualizes to $3.40 per share.

Bollard Group LLC lessened its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 23.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 132,074 shares of the company's stock after selling 41,293 shares during the quarter. Bollard Group LLC's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $13,902,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of MRK. Chesapeake Wealth Management increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. Chesapeake Wealth Management now owns 14,740 shares of the company's stock worth $1,552,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. Syverson Strege & Co increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.2% during the 4th quarter. Syverson Strege & Co now owns 4,142 shares of the company's stock worth $436,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares during the last quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.1% during the fourth quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,142 shares of the company's stock worth $331,000 after buying an additional 93 shares during the last quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 26.9% during the fourth quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 444 shares of the company's stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 94 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sunbeam Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 1.3% during the fourth quarter. Sunbeam Capital Management LLC now owns 7,099 shares of the company's stock worth $747,000 after buying an additional 94 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 1.4%

MRK stock opened at $119.05 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02. The firm has a market capitalization of $294.04 billion, a PE ratio of 33.54, a PEG ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 0.21. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1-year low of $76.66 and a 1-year high of $125.14. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $116.55 and its 200 day simple moving average is $113.23.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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 firm's revenue was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.22 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.17 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th will be issued 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 payout ratio is presently 95.77%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have issued reports on MRK. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $142.00 price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday, March 30th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $145.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Citigroup began coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $125.00 price target on the stock. Finally, UBS Group upped 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 report on Monday, April 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $128.18.

Key Stories Impacting Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck Animal Health announced a definitive agreement to acquire TARGAN, a poultry biodevice company, which could strengthen Merck’s animal health division and broaden its technology-driven growth opportunities. Merck Animal Health to Acquire TARGAN
• Positive Sentiment: Merck saw unusually heavy call option buying, with traders purchasing 170,441 calls, a sharp jump versus normal volume that often signals bullish expectations from sophisticated investors.
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo reiterated a buy rating on Merck, while another article highlighted that Wall Street’s overall bullish view continues to keep MRK on investors’ radar.
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck has also been featured in broader market commentary and “most searched” lists, suggesting rising attention rather than a new fundamental catalyst.
• Neutral Sentiment: One article noted Merck’s recent trading uptick but said it lagged the broader market, indicating modest price strength rather than a major breakout. Merck (MRK) Rises Yet Lags Behind Market: Some Facts Worth Knowing

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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