Exchange Traded Concepts LLC Has $14.57 Million Holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Exchange Traded Concepts LLC increased its Merck position by 28% in the second quarter, bringing its holdings to 113,353 shares valued at approximately $14.57 million. Institutional investors collectively own 76.07% of Merck’s stock.
• Merck reported quarterly revenue of $16.61 billion, up 5.1% year over year and above analyst expectations, while earnings also exceeded estimates. The stock traded near its 12-month high, and analysts maintained a “Moderate Buy” consensus with a $135.50 average price target.
• The company declared a $0.85 quarterly dividend, equal to a 2.5% annualized yield. Analysts cited pipeline progress and business momentum as positives, though Merck faces future risks from Keytruda’s patent expiration and competition.

Exchange Traded Concepts LLC lifted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 28.0% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 113,353 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 24,801 shares during the quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $14,566,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter valued at $3,997,933,000. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 14.8% in the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 86,435,458 shares of the company's stock worth $9,098,196,000 after buying an additional 11,156,354 shares during the period. Cardano Risk Management B.V. acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter worth $1,012,530,000. Jennison Associates LLC purchased a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter valued at $585,192,000. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 37.9% during the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 18,753,390 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,973,983,000 after buying an additional 5,152,069 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Up 0.2%

Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $135.78 on Friday. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $125.54 and its 200-day simple moving average is $119.94. The company has a quick ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12 month low of $77.58 and a 12 month high of $135.97. The stock has a market cap of $334.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 108.62, a P/E/G ratio of 5.86 and a beta of 0.19.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly 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. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 4.77% and a return on equity of 16.73%. The business had revenue of $16.61 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.37 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.13 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc.'s revenue for the quarter was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.77 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be paid a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.5%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s payout ratio is 272.00%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently weighed in on MRK shares. Scotiabank upped their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $136.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a "sector outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. Bank of America raised their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $142.00 target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Citigroup assumed coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $125.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $112.00 to $113.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $135.50.

Key Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade and higher valuations: Daiwa Securities upgraded MRK from “neutral” to “outperform” and set a $143 price target. Other analysts have raised fair-value estimates into the $140–$155 range, citing pipeline progress, business-development activity and late-stage therapies. Daiwa Securities upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Business momentum remains supportive: MRK recently touched a record high, while Keytruda demand, oncology products, new launches and Animal Health helped drive quarterly revenue of $16.61 billion, above the $16.37 billion consensus estimate. The company also exceeded earnings expectations and reported 5.1% year-over-year revenue growth. Merck fair value and pipeline progress
• Positive Sentiment: Income and diversification appeal: Merck declared its regular $0.85 quarterly dividend, or $3.40 annualized, while potential expansion of ENFLONSIA for RSV prevention could broaden growth beyond oncology.
• Neutral Sentiment: Insider selling warrants monitoring: EVP Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares for $1.35 million, following substantial sales by executives Jennifer Zachary and Richard Deluca. Each executive retained a meaningful stake, so the transactions may reflect personal financial decisions rather than a deteriorating outlook. Merck insider selling report
• Negative Sentiment: Keytruda concentration is a future risk: Patent expiration and increasing competition could pressure Merck’s largest growth driver. Investors will need evidence that the pipeline and newer products can offset eventual Keytruda sales declines. Keytruda growth outlook

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 80,315 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.46, for a total transaction of $10,718,839.90. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 45,509 shares in the company, valued at $6,073,631.14. The trade was a 63.83% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP David Michael Williams sold 52,847 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 directly owned 31,716 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,084,069.32. The trade was a 62.49% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 228,238 shares of company stock worth $29,977,783. Insiders own 0.17% of the company's stock.

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MRK? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

Continue following MarketBeat

Add MarketBeat as your preferred source on Google to see our latest stories in your feed.

Add As Preferred Source