Dearborn Partners LLC Decreases Holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Dearborn Partners LLC reduced its Merck stake by 3.8% in the fourth quarter, selling 8,799 shares and ending with 220,100 shares valued at about $23.2 million.
• Analysts remain generally positive on Merck: the stock has a Moderate Buy consensus rating, with UBS and Wells Fargo both holding buy/overweight views and target prices around $145.
• Merck recently beat quarterly earnings and revenue expectations, and it also announced a $0.85 quarterly dividend payable July 8, though the payout ratio is relatively high at 95.77%.

Dearborn Partners LLC cut its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 3.8% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 220,100 shares of the company's stock after selling 8,799 shares during the quarter. Dearborn Partners LLC's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $23,168,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Kingdom Financial Group LLC. purchased a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. United Financial Planning Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the third quarter worth approximately $31,000. High Note Wealth LLC raised its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 58.9% during the fourth quarter. High Note Wealth LLC now owns 294 shares of the company's stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 109 shares in the last quarter. Tucker Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter worth approximately $34,000. Finally, Wealth Watch Advisors INC purchased a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the third quarter worth approximately $34,000. 76.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have commented on the stock. UBS Group lifted 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 note on Monday, April 13th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Zacks Research raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 17th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $145.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $128.18.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

NYSE:MRK opened at $121.05 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $298.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 0.21. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $116.55 and its 200 day simple moving average is $112.39. Merck & Co., Inc. has a twelve month low of $76.66 and a twelve month high of $125.14. The company has a quick ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($1.47) by $0.19. The business had revenue of $16.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $15.85 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 13.59% and a return on equity of 27.55%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.22 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.17 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th will be issued a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.8%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s payout ratio is 95.77%.

Key Headlines Impacting Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck reached a settlement of more than $50 million to resolve over 200 Gardasil-related lawsuits, removing a significant legal overhang and helping investors refocus on the company’s core business and pipeline. Merck Gardasil Settlement Eases Legal Overhang And Refocuses Investor Attention
• Positive Sentiment: Merck recently broke above both its 20-day and 50-day moving averages, a technical signal that traders often view as a sign of improving short-term momentum. Merck (MRK) Recently Broke Out Above the 20-Day Moving Average
• Positive Sentiment: Merck’s oncology franchise continues to draw attention after ASCO 2026 updates highlighted Keytruda’s strength in solid tumors and other pipeline assets aimed at offsetting future exclusivity pressure. ASCO26: Solid tumour data readouts outline Merck & Co’s oncology prowess
• Positive Sentiment: Merck’s collaboration with Moderna on a personalized mRNA cancer vaccine also got a boost from positive long-term data disclosed by Moderna, reinforcing investor interest in the partnership. Why Is Moderna (MRNA) Stock Rocketing Higher Today
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck’s conference appearance and oncology strategy update likely kept investor focus on the pipeline, but the items available do not indicate a major new catalyst beyond ongoing progress. Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) Discusses Oncology Strategy and Program Update With Focus on Clinical Progress and Pipeline Diversification - Slideshow

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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