Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. Sells 374,694 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Ferguson Wellman Capital Management cut its Merck stake by 49.3% in the first quarter, selling 374,694 shares and leaving it with 385,956 shares worth about $46.4 million.
• Merck reported better-than-expected Q1 results, with EPS of -$1.28 beating estimates and revenue of $16.29 billion topping forecasts, while raising its FY 2026 EPS guidance to 5.04–5.16.
• The company’s outlook got a boost from an FDA approval expanding KEYTRUDA and KEYTRUDA QLEX use in muscle-invasive bladder cancer, and analysts remain mostly positive with a consensus Moderate Buy rating and price target of $132.72.

Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. cut its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 49.3% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 385,956 shares of the company's stock after selling 374,694 shares during the quarter. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc.'s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $46,427,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. D.A. Davidson & CO. grew its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 4.4% during the 4th quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 576,959 shares of the company's stock worth $60,731,000 after acquiring an additional 24,576 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 48.9% during the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 97,818 shares of the company's stock valued at $10,296,000 after purchasing an additional 32,114 shares during the last quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 12.7% in the third quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 123,366 shares of the company's stock worth $10,364,000 after purchasing an additional 13,940 shares in the last quarter. Campbell Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the third quarter valued at approximately $1,866,000. Finally, Norris Perne & French LLP MI lifted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 12.8% during the 4th quarter. Norris Perne & French LLP MI now owns 252,162 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,543,000 after buying an additional 28,635 shares in the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Merck & Co., Inc. stock traded down $1.35 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $123.72. 8,388,403 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 10,797,806. The company's fifty day moving average is $118.83 and its 200-day moving average is $116.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a current ratio of 1.30. The firm has a market cap of $305.56 billion, a PE ratio of 34.85, a PEG ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.19. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52 week low of $76.66 and a 52 week high of $130.29.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 business's revenue for the quarter was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.22 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.17 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th were given a dividend of $0.85 per share. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.'s payout ratio is presently 95.77%.

Key Headlines Impacting Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: The FDA approved KEYTRUDA and KEYTRUDA QLEX, each combined with Padcev, for use before and after surgery in adults with muscle-invasive bladder cancer. This expands Merck’s flagship oncology franchise and could add to future revenue. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains constructive, with Morgan Stanley slightly raising its price target and RBC Capital reiterating a Buy rating. That suggests Wall Street still sees upside despite the stock’s recent run. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Merck continues to attract investor attention thanks to strong year-to-date performance, a solid dividend yield, and a long record of dividend growth, which may support demand for the shares. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent coverage also notes Merck is one of the more widely watched healthcare names on Zacks, but these mentions do not appear to add any new fundamental catalyst on their own. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the upbeat news flow, the shares also face ongoing valuation and post-KEYTRUDA exclusivity concerns, which may limit upside if investors focus on Merck’s long-term patent risk. Article Title

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on MRK shares. Citigroup began coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $125.00 price objective for the company. Bank of America raised their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald restated a "neutral" rating and issued a $120.00 target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Monday, July 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $132.72.

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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