Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. Grows Stake in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Ferguson Wellman Capital Management increased its Merck stake by 1.7% in Q4 to 760,650 shares valued at $80,066,000, representing 1.3% of the fund and the stock's 22nd largest holding.
• Merck agreed to acquire Terns Pharmaceuticals for about $6.7 billion to add TERN-701 to its oncology pipeline, triggering analyst price-target increases and a consensus rating of Moderate Buy with an average target of $127.13.
• While insiders sold roughly 320,176 shares (~$38.3M) in the past 90 days, Merck beat quarterly EPS estimates, set FY2026 guidance of $5.00–$5.15 EPS, and announced a $0.85 quarterly dividend (2.8% yield).

Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 1.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 760,650 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 13,069 shares during the quarter. Merck & Co., Inc. accounts for 1.3% of Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 22nd biggest holding. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc.'s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $80,066,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Darwin Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 237.4% in the third quarter. Darwin Wealth Management LLC now owns 307 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 216 shares in the last quarter. Kilter Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 2nd quarter worth $27,000. Bare Financial Services Inc boosted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 51.9% in the 2nd quarter. Bare Financial Services Inc now owns 366 shares of the company's stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 125 shares in the last quarter. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 302.3% in the 3rd quarter. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 354 shares of the company's stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 266 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Evolution Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 2nd quarter valued at about $31,000. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. Bank of America raised their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, December 15th. Cantor Fitzgerald increased their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $116.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Wolfe Research raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "peer perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $135.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, February 28th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada assumed coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $142.00 target price on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Merck & Co., Inc. has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $127.13.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck agreed to acquire Terns Pharmaceuticals for $53.00 per share (~$6.7B) to add TERN-701, an allosteric BCR::ABL1 candidate for chronic myeloid leukemia — seen as a strategic, near-term pipeline boost ahead of Keytruda patent risk. Merck to Acquire Terns Pharmaceuticals press release
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts highlight TERN-701’s disruptive potential in CML; some firms say the deal strengthens Merck’s long-term oncology franchise and could be accretive if the asset delivers. Health Care Roundup: Market Talk
• Positive Sentiment: Broker action: Citi recently raised its price target on MRK to $125 (from $120), signaling continued analyst support amid the M&A and pipeline moves. Citi Raises its Price Target on Merck
• Positive Sentiment: Market backdrop helped equities broadly: risk-on sentiment (hopes for a ceasefire in the Middle East) and lower oil prices supported healthcare stocks, including MRK. Equities Rise, Oil Dips as Traders Weigh Prospects of Iran War Ceasefire
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck announced a multi‑year collaboration with Quotient Therapeutics on IBD target discovery (potential upside, but long‑term and milestone‑driven). Quotient Therapeutics Announces Collaboration with Merck
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck hosted/announced investor and M&A calls to discuss the transaction and strategy — useful for details but not an immediate catalyst beyond confirmation of deal terms. Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) M&A Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Deal risks: reporting notes potential for a bidding contest or activist interest — that could raise acquisition cost or create execution risk; investors may watch for how Merck finances / integrates the asset. Why Merck Might Have A Fight On Its Hands With Its $6.7 Billion Takeover Of Terns

Insider Activity

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 37,685 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.92, for a total value of $4,556,870.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 160,174 shares in the company, valued at approximately $19,368,240.08. The trade was a 19.05% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 68,916 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,211,341.40. This represents a 63.82% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 320,176 shares of company stock valued at $38,281,735 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.13% of the company's stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Up 2.5%

Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $119.33 on Thursday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $116.27 and a 200 day moving average price of $101.44. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52 week low of $73.31 and a 52 week high of $125.14. The stock has a market cap of $295.04 billion, a PE ratio of 16.39, a P/E/G ratio of 2.25 and a beta of 0.27. The company has a current ratio of 1.54, a quick ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates 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 company had revenue of $16.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.19 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.72 EPS. The firm's quarterly 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. Equities research analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 7th. Investors of record on Monday, March 16th will be paid a dividend of $0.85 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 16th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.8%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio is presently 46.70%.

About Merck & Co., Inc.

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.