Gabelli Funds LLC Cuts Holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Gabelli Funds LLC trimmed its Merck stake by 6.6% in the fourth quarter, selling 21,375 shares and leaving it with 304,065 shares valued at about $32.0 million.
• Merck reported stronger-than-expected quarterly results, posting adjusted EPS that beat estimates and revenue of $16.29 billion, up 4.9% year over year.
• Wall Street remains moderately positive on MRK, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $128.18, despite some recent mixed analyst updates.

Gabelli Funds LLC reduced its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 6.6% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 304,065 shares of the company's stock after selling 21,375 shares during the period. Gabelli Funds LLC's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $32,006,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of MRK. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 29.5% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 38,278 shares of the company's stock worth $3,808,000 after buying an additional 8,710 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 52.2% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 11,494 shares of the company's stock worth $910,000 after buying an additional 3,941 shares during the last quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC boosted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 94.1% in the 2nd quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC now owns 32,256 shares of the company's stock worth $2,590,000 after buying an additional 15,636 shares during the last quarter. Diversify Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 22.2% in the 2nd quarter. Diversify Wealth Management LLC now owns 38,031 shares of the company's stock worth $3,054,000 after buying an additional 6,897 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 111.7% in the 2nd quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 681,128 shares of the company's stock worth $53,918,000 after buying an additional 359,356 shares during the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $112.63 on Tuesday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a one year low of $75.40 and a one year high of $125.14. The stock's fifty day moving average is $115.94 and its 200 day moving average is $109.54. The stock has a market cap of $278.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.73, a P/E/G ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 0.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a current ratio of 1.30.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly 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 analysts' expectations of $15.85 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 27.55% and a net margin of 13.59%.The business's quarterly revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.22 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.16 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MRK has been the topic of a number of research reports. Citigroup began coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $125.00 price target on the stock. Guggenheim raised their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $122.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $145.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 1st. TD Cowen raised their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut Merck & Co., Inc. from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $128.18.

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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