Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC Has $8.67 Million Position in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Fifth Third Wealth Advisors increased its Merck stake by 43.4% in the first quarter, adding 21,806 shares and bringing its total holding to 72,054 shares valued at about $8.67 million.
• Merck’s pipeline and product news was upbeat: tulisokibart met its Phase 3 endpoint in ulcerative colitis, and the European Commission approved Keytruda plus Padcev for a bladder cancer indication, both of which could support future growth.
• Analyst sentiment remains constructive overall, with CICC starting coverage at outperform with a $138 target and Scotiabank reiterating a buy, though Citi kept a hold rating.

Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 43.4% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 72,054 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 21,806 shares during the period. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $8,667,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. D.A. Davidson & CO. raised its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 4.4% during the fourth quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 576,959 shares of the company's stock valued at $60,731,000 after buying an additional 24,576 shares during the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 48.9% in the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 97,818 shares of the company's stock worth $10,296,000 after acquiring an additional 32,114 shares during the period. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 12.7% during the 3rd 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. acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $1,866,000. Finally, Norris Perne & French LLP MI increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 12.8% during the fourth quarter. Norris Perne & French LLP MI now owns 252,162 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,543,000 after purchasing an additional 28,635 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Key Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck’s tulisokibart met its endpoint in a Phase 3 ulcerative colitis study, strengthening confidence in the company’s immunology pipeline and offering a possible future growth driver. Merck's Anti-TL1A Antibody Meets Goal in Ulcerative Colitis Study
• Positive Sentiment: The European Commission approved Keytruda in combination with Padcev for cisplatin-ineligible patients with resectable muscle-invasive bladder cancer, which could support oncology sales and broaden Keytruda’s international use. European Commission Approves KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab) Plus Padcev®
• Positive Sentiment: CICC Research initiated coverage on Merck with an outperform rating and a $138 price target, signaling Wall Street expects further upside from current levels. Benzinga report on CICC coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Citi maintained its hold rating on Merck, suggesting a more cautious view but no major change in the stock thesis. Citi Keeps Their Hold Rating on Merck & Company (MRK)
• Positive Sentiment: Scotiabank reaffirmed its buy rating on Merck, adding to the bullish analyst backdrop. Scotiabank Reaffirms Their Buy Rating on Merck & Company (MRK)

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $120.74 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $298.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.01, a P/E/G ratio of 2.69 and a beta of 0.21. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $115.77 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $114.05. The company has a current ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1-year low of $76.66 and a 1-year high of $125.14.

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, beating analysts' consensus estimates of ($1.47) by $0.19. The company had revenue of $16.29 billion during 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%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s quarterly revenue was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.22 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The firm 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 dividend of $0.85 per share. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 95.77%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MRK has been the subject of several research reports. Weiss Ratings cut Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, April 6th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $142.00 target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday, March 30th. 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. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $145.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 1st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $128.72.

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.

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