Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. Has $24.83 Million Stock Position in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Crossmark Global Holdings trimmed its Merck stake by 7.6% in the fourth quarter, selling 19,298 shares and ending with 235,906 shares valued at about $24.83 million.
• Wall Street remains cautiously positive on Merck, with a Moderate Buy consensus rating and an average price target of $128.18. Recent analyst moves included overweight ratings from Barclays and Wells Fargo, while some firms were more neutral.
• Merck’s latest quarterly results topped expectations, with EPS of -$1.28 versus estimates of -$1.47 and revenue of $16.29 billion. The company also guided FY 2026 EPS to 5.04–5.16, even as investors weigh insider selling and litigation risk around Gardasil.

Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. lowered its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 7.6% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 235,906 shares of the company's stock after selling 19,298 shares during the quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc.'s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $24,832,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Chesapeake Wealth Management lifted its holdings 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 valued at $1,552,000 after buying an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.1% in 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% in 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. Payne Capital LLC raised 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 valued at $1,120,000 after acquiring an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Abound Wealth Management raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 6.8% during the fourth quarter. Abound Wealth Management now owns 1,554 shares of the company's stock valued at $164,000 after acquiring an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MRK has been the subject of several recent research reports. Barclays began coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Friday, February 20th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $140.00 target price for the company. Wells Fargo & Company cut 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 report on Friday, May 1st. Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $116.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, March 28th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $128.18.

More Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck published a landmark Science paper on a new large-scale biocatalytic synthesis method for its investigational oral PCSK9 inhibitor, enlicitide decanoate. The work supports manufacturing scalability for a potential future cardiovascular drug and underscores progress in Merck’s pipeline. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Merck also became the sole testing provider for Genetix Biotherapeutics’ FDA-approved gene therapies under a five-year agreement, strengthening its BioReliance services business and adding a recurring commercialization-related revenue stream. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary highlighted Merck as a well-prepared dividend stock despite its upcoming patent cliff, suggesting the market is still weighing long-term earnings durability rather than reacting to a single catalyst. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Merck is heading toward a July 27 trial over Gardasil safety claims after the vaccine reached an $8.9 billion sales peak. The litigation risk could weigh on sentiment around one of Merck’s key growth franchises, even though the company continues to defend the product’s safety record. Article Title

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CMO Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.41, for a total value of $1,184,100.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief marketing officer directly owned 70,615 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,361,522.15. This represents a 12.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 121,573 shares of the firm's 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 68,916 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $8,211,341.40. This trade represents a 63.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 0.17% of the company's stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 0.9%

MRK stock opened at $111.26 on Friday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a twelve month low of $73.31 and a twelve month high of $125.14. The company has a quick ratio of 1.30, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02. The company has a market cap of $274.78 billion, a PE ratio of 31.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 0.18. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $117.07 and its 200 day simple moving average is $108.31.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly 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 firm had revenue of $16.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $15.85 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.22 EPS. The company'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. On average, research analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.16 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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