Circle Wealth Management LLC Has $13.62 Million Holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Circle Wealth Management LLC trimmed its stake in Merck by 10.5% to 162,231 shares valued at about $13.62 million, representing roughly 0.3% of its portfolio and its 29th-largest holding.
• Major institutions (e.g., Charles Schwab, DLD, Norges Bank, Franklin, Fisher) have been net buyers while sell-side firms raised targets and ratings, leaving Merck with a consensus "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $126.81 (some targets up to $150).
• Insiders sold about 320,176 shares (~$38.3M) over the past 90 days, including EVP Jennifer Zachary; Merck also posted a slight EPS beat, set FY2026 guidance of $5.00–$5.15, and announced a quarterly dividend of $0.85 (2.9% yield).

Circle Wealth Management LLC lessened its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 10.5% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 162,231 shares of the company's stock after selling 19,064 shares during the quarter. Merck & Co., Inc. accounts for approximately 0.3% of Circle Wealth Management LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 29th biggest holding. Circle Wealth Management LLC's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $13,616,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in MRK. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 9.4% during the 2nd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 53,865,466 shares of the company's stock worth $4,263,991,000 after buying an additional 4,636,183 shares in the last quarter. DLD Asset Management LP boosted its stake in shares of 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 worth $3,986,675,000 after buying an additional 11,000,000 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 2nd quarter valued at about $2,858,570,000. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 23.5% in the 2nd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 27,032,601 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,139,901,000 after acquiring an additional 5,135,748 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.3% in the 2nd quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 25,013,697 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,980,084,000 after acquiring an additional 567,900 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently issued reports on MRK shares. Bank of America upped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, December 15th. UBS Group raised their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $135.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday. Scotiabank upped their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a "sector outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, December 4th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada initiated coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $142.00 price objective for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $126.81.

Key Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Unusually large call buying: traders bought ~672,962 call options on Friday (a ~1,339% jump vs. typical daily call volume), signaling heavy bullish speculation or hedging interest that can lift near-term implied volatility and upside pressure on MRK shares.
• Positive Sentiment: Phase 3 WELIREG data and regulatory filings deepen Merck’s oncology growth story — new Phase 3 results for belzutifan (WELIREG) combos with KEYTRUDA or LENVIMA show meaningful improvement in RCC; FDA filings with priority reviews/PDUFA dates for 2026 could expand label and revenue runway. Merck’s WELIREG Kidney Cancer Trials Deepen Oncology Growth Story
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades/price-target raises: Wells Fargo raised its price target to $150 and assigned an overweight rating, and Leerink lifted its target as well — both moves increase institutional demand signals and implied upside for MRK. Benzinga Leerink Raises Merck & Co. Inc. (MRK) Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: RBC Capital maintains a Buy rating, reinforcing analyst support and potentially bolstering demand from long-only managers. RBC Capital Sticks to Its Buy Rating for Merck & Company (MRK)
• Positive Sentiment: Bullish price commentary: coverage and price-target pieces (e.g., 247WallStreet) argue broader upside (some scenarios to $150) based on drug pipeline potential, supporting a favorable narrative among momentum investors. Merck Price Prediction: Sac-TMT Drug Potential Pushes MRK to $150
• Neutral Sentiment: Market report on Ovidrel/Ovitrelle highlights expanding fertility market opportunities that could be a modest long-term tailwind for related Merck products, but it’s not an immediate revenue catalyst. Ovidrel or Ovitrelle Market Research Report 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Misc. coverage items (e.g., stock-picking lists and unrelated biotech moves) mention MRK in broader contexts but are unlikely to materially move the stock on their own. 1 Unpopular Stock That Deserves Some Love and 2 We Avoid ImmunityBio Stock Soars 295% YTD

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 121,573 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.15, for a total value of $14,485,422.95. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 68,916 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,211,341.40. This represents a 63.82% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Johannes Jacobus Oosthuizen sold 15,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.87, for a total value of $1,828,050.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 21,197 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,583,278.39. This represents a 41.44% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 320,176 shares of company stock valued at $38,281,735. Insiders own 0.13% of the company's stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 0.3%

Shares of MRK stock opened at $115.61 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 1.30 and a current ratio of 1.54. The firm's 50-day moving average is $115.26 and its 200-day moving average is $99.68. The stock has a market cap of $285.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.88, a PEG ratio of 2.24 and a beta of 0.27. 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 issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.01 by $0.03. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 28.08% and a return on equity of 44.57%. The business had revenue of $16.40 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.19 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.72 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc.'s revenue was up 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.000-5.150 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 7th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 16th will be given a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 16th. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 46.70%.

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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