Choate Investment Advisors Buys 13,581 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Choate Investment Advisors increased its Merck stake by 16% in the fourth quarter, buying 13,581 additional shares and bringing its total holdings to 98,500 shares worth about $10.37 million.
• Merck is getting a boost from encouraging oncology pipeline news, including positive late-stage lung cancer data for a Keytruda combination and a favorable EU opinion for Keytruda plus Padcev in bladder cancer.
• The stock has been supported by strong earnings and analyst optimism, with Merck beating quarterly estimates, raising 2026 guidance, and drawing multiple buy/overweight ratings with a consensus price target of $128.18.

Choate Investment Advisors increased its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 16.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 98,500 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 13,581 shares during the period. Choate Investment Advisors' holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $10,368,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Chesapeake Wealth Management raised its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.6% during the fourth quarter. Chesapeake Wealth Management now owns 14,740 shares of the company's stock worth $1,552,000 after acquiring an additional 87 shares in the last quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. increased its position 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 position 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. Intrua Financial LLC increased its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Intrua Financial LLC now owns 8,604 shares of the company's stock worth $906,000 after buying an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Payne Capital LLC increased its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.9% during the fourth quarter. Payne Capital LLC now owns 10,637 shares of the company's stock worth $1,120,000 after buying an additional 97 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 and partner Sichuan Kelun-Biotech reported encouraging late-stage lung cancer data for a Keytruda combination, with the treatment beating Keytruda alone and improving confidence in Merck’s cancer pipeline. Kelun, Merck's lung cancer combo improves survival in late-stage China trial
• Positive Sentiment: The European Medicines Agency’s CHMP issued a positive opinion for Keytruda plus Padcev as a perioperative treatment for certain bladder cancer patients, which could expand the drug pair’s commercial reach if formally approved. Merck Receives Positive EU CHMP Opinion for KEYTRUDA Plus Padcev
• Positive Sentiment: Additional coverage highlighted positive EU recommendations and trial momentum across Merck’s oncology portfolio, suggesting the company is building new growth drivers ahead of future Keytruda patent pressure. Merck stock jumps as Keytruda combo trials boost cancer pipeline
• Neutral Sentiment: Some commentary noted Gardasil sales remain weak due to soft demand in China and other markets, which is a reminder that Merck still has headwinds outside oncology. Will Weak Gardasil Sales Continue to Ail MRK's Vaccines Sales in 2026?
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck’s recent run-up also reflects broader investor optimism after strong quarterly results and improving sentiment around its pipeline, rather than a single one-day event. Merck Stock Climbs on Cancer Data. Why the Drugmaker Is More Than a One-Trick Pony.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $122.55 on Monday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12 month low of $75.40 and a 12 month high of $125.14. The stock's 50 day moving average is $115.92 and its 200-day moving average is $110.41. 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 company has a market capitalization of $302.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.52, a PEG ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.18.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 company had revenue of $16.29 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.85 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.22 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter 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. Equities research analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.16 EPS for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MRK has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Weiss Ratings downgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Guggenheim boosted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $122.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Barclays initiated coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Friday, February 20th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $140.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Citigroup initiated coverage on 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. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $128.18.

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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