Envestnet Asset Management Inc. Has $513.60 Million Stock Holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Envestnet Asset Management increased its Merck stake by 3.7% in the second quarter, holding 3.996 million shares valued at approximately $513.6 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 76.07% of Merck.
• Analysts maintain a generally favorable outlook, with 17 Buy ratings and seven Holds producing a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $154.24; recent targets range as high as $170.
• Merck exceeded quarterly earnings and revenue expectations, while declaring a quarterly dividend of $0.85 per share, equivalent to a 2.3% annualized yield.

Envestnet Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 3.7% in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 3,996,890 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 143,914 shares during the quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. owned approximately 0.16% of Merck & Co., Inc. worth $513,599,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. BlackRock Inc. raised its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.5% during the second quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 226,999,837 shares of the company's stock worth $29,169,479,000 after buying an additional 1,073,507 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.9% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 120,413,256 shares of the company's stock worth $15,573,754,000 after acquiring an additional 1,087,583 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.3% during the 2nd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 86,249,283 shares of the company's stock worth $11,083,033,000 after acquiring an additional 1,934,312 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 60,047,984 shares of the company's stock worth $6,307,572,000 after acquiring an additional 249,110 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter worth about $3,997,933,000. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently commented on MRK shares. CICC Research began coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $138.00 target price on the stock. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued a "neutral" rating and issued a $120.00 price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Sunday. Scotiabank raised their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $136.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a "sector outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $142.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 20th. Seventeen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $154.24.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

MRK opened at $148.07 on Thursday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1-year low of $77.58 and a 1-year high of $156.92. The company has a market cap of $365.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 118.46, a PEG ratio of 6.57 and a beta of 0.21. The company's fifty day moving average price is $140.06 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $125.88. The company has a current ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.26) by $0.13. The company had revenue of $16.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.37 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 4.77% and a return on equity of 16.73%. The firm's revenue was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.13 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.76 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.85 per share. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.'s payout ratio is currently 272.00%.

Trending Headlines about Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Pipeline catalysts could support a re-rating. Bank of America maintained a Buy rating, citing confidence from Merck’s chief medical officer and multiple potential oncology and other pipeline readouts expected over the next 12 to 18 months. Merck pipeline seen driving potential re-rating as clinical catalysts approach
• Positive Sentiment: WINREVAIR received a U.S. label expansion. The FDA approved an update incorporating Phase 3 HYPERION trial data for recently diagnosed adults with pulmonary arterial hypertension. The broader label may expand the therapy’s commercial opportunity and strengthen Merck’s growth portfolio. FDA approves WINREVAIR label update
• Positive Sentiment: Merck gained another KEYTRUDA administration option in Japan. Japanese approval of subcutaneous KEYTRUDA QLEX provides an alternative to intravenous dosing across existing indications and could improve convenience for patients and clinicians. Why Merck is in focus after Japan cleared a new dosing option
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage remains broadly favorable, with the average brokerage recommendation equivalent to Buy. However, the usefulness of consensus ratings may be limited because sell-side recommendations can be overly optimistic. Wall Street analysts think Merck is a good investment
• Negative Sentiment: Profit-taking and valuation concerns pressured the stock. After rising sharply over the past year and reaching elevated valuation levels, one analysis warned that the recent “melt-up” could lead to further profit-taking and assigned a more cautious rating tied to the risks of Merck’s longer-term portfolio renewal. Merck’s melt-up triggers profit-taking risks

Insider Transactions at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other news, EVP David Williams sold 52,847 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $128.77, for a total value of $6,805,108.19. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 31,716 shares in the company, valued at $4,084,069.32. This represents a 62.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.00, for a total transaction of $1,350,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 36,613 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,942,755. This trade represents a 21.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 228,238 shares of company stock worth $29,977,783. 0.17% of the stock is owned by insiders.

About Merck & Co., Inc.

Merck & Co, Inc is a global healthcare company that develops, manufactures, and markets prescription medicines, vaccines, and animal-health products. The company serves patients, healthcare providers, and customers in markets worldwide through its Human Health and Animal Health businesses.

Merck's pharmaceutical portfolio includes oncology, infectious disease, cardiology, immunology, and other therapeutic areas. Its products include Keytruda, an immunotherapy used to treat various cancers; Gardasil, a vaccine that helps protect against human papillomavirus (HPV); and Januvia, a treatment for type 2 diabetes.

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