Fulton Bank N.A. Raises Position in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Fulton Bank N.A. increased its Merck stake by 19.8% in the first quarter, ending with 78,112 shares valued at about $9.4 million.
• Merck’s latest quarterly results beat expectations, with EPS of ($1.28) versus estimates of ($1.47) and revenue of $16.29 billion topping forecasts. Revenue also rose 4.9% year over year.
• Analysts remain generally positive on the stock, with several firms raising price targets; the consensus rating is Moderate Buy and the average target is $131.83.

Fulton Bank N.A. lifted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 19.8% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 78,112 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 12,897 shares during the quarter. Fulton Bank N.A.'s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $9,396,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in MRK. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter worth about $3,997,933,000. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 14.8% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 86,435,458 shares of the company's stock valued at $9,098,196,000 after buying an additional 11,156,354 shares during the period. DLD Asset Management LP grew its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 30.1% in the 3rd quarter. DLD Asset Management LP now owns 47,500,000 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,986,675,000 after buying an additional 11,000,000 shares during the period. Cardano Risk Management B.V. acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter valued at about $1,012,530,000. Finally, Jennison Associates LLC acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter valued at about $585,192,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

MRK opened at $125.30 on Thursday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52-week low of $76.66 and a 52-week high of $130.29. The company has a 50 day moving average of $116.71 and a two-hundred day moving average of $115.06. The company has a market cap of $309.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.29, a P/E/G ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.19. The company has a quick ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of ($1.47) by $0.19. The business had revenue of $16.29 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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 quarter last year, the firm posted $2.22 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.19 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be given a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 95.77%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently commented on the stock. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, April 13th. CICC Research began coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $138.00 price target on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and set a $142.00 price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Monday, March 30th. Finally, Bank of America increased their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $131.83.

More Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America raised its price target on Merck to $141 from $130 and reiterated a buy rating, citing improved upside potential. Bank of America raises Merck price target
• Positive Sentiment: Scotiabank lifted its price target to $155 from $136 and maintained an outperform rating, signaling stronger confidence in Merck’s valuation and earnings outlook. Scotiabank raises Merck price target
• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group slightly increased its FY2027 EPS estimate for Merck, reflecting modestly improved long-term earnings expectations. Erste Group EPS estimate update
• Positive Sentiment: Merck announced it will hold its second-quarter 2026 sales and earnings conference call on Aug. 4, keeping investors focused on upcoming results and guidance. Merck earnings conference call announcement
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck also hit a new 52-week high following the analyst upgrade, but the stock has since pulled back after its six-day advance, suggesting some profit-taking. Merck sets new 52-week high on analyst upgrade
• Negative Sentiment: U.S. lawmakers launched a national security probe into Merck’s clinical trial activities in China, raising concerns about data protection, oversight, and exposure to politically sensitive trial sites. Merck faces U.S. security probe over China clinical trials
• Negative Sentiment: Broader healthcare weakness also weighed on sentiment, with the sector lower late Tuesday afternoon. Healthcare stocks softer late afternoon

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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