GW&K Investment Management LLC Purchases 12,221 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• GW&K Investment Management increased its Merck stake by 4.3% in the fourth quarter, buying 12,221 more shares and bringing its total holding to 295,331 shares valued at about $31.1 million.
• Several other institutional investors also added to their Merck positions, and hedge funds and institutions now own 76.07% of the company’s stock.
• Merck has a mixed but generally supportive news flow: Wells Fargo reiterated a Buy rating, positive Phase III HIV data with Gilead boosted the pipeline outlook, but a Phase III non-small-cell lung cancer study was ended after missing its efficacy target.

GW&K Investment Management LLC grew its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 4.3% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 295,331 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 12,221 shares during the period. GW&K Investment Management LLC's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $31,087,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Brandes Investment Partners LP grew its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 1.9% in the 4th quarter. Brandes Investment Partners LP now owns 2,467,525 shares of the company's stock worth $259,733,000 after buying an additional 44,858 shares in the last quarter. Letko Brosseau & Associates Inc. grew its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 4.7% in the 4th quarter. Letko Brosseau & Associates Inc. now owns 370,534 shares of the company's stock worth $39,002,000 after buying an additional 16,545 shares in the last quarter. Portfolio Design Labs LLC grew its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Portfolio Design Labs LLC now owns 21,518 shares of the company's stock worth $2,265,000 after buying an additional 259 shares in the last quarter. Stonebrook Private Inc. grew its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 6.2% in the 4th quarter. Stonebrook Private Inc. now owns 4,236 shares of the company's stock worth $446,000 after buying an additional 247 shares in the last quarter. Finally, North Dallas Bank & Trust Co. purchased a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,259,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.07% of the company's stock.

More Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo reiterated its Buy rating on Merck, adding to the recent analyst support around the stock and reinforcing confidence in the company’s long-term outlook. Wells Fargo Keeps Their Buy Rating on Merck & Company (MRK)
• Positive Sentiment: Merck and Gilead reported positive Phase III HIV data for their once-weekly islatravir/lenacapavir regimen, which could expand Merck’s infectious-disease franchise if regulatory filings proceed as planned. Gilead, Merck Report Positive Phase III HIV Study Data, End NSCLC Study
• Positive Sentiment: Merck said it is expanding its EU digital traceability efforts and exploring options to help address the emerging Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak, highlighting new commercial and public-health initiatives. Merck Expands EU Traceability Push And Targets Bundibugyo Ebola Response
• Positive Sentiment: Technical coverage noted that MRK has moved back above its 50-day moving average while staying above its 200-day trendline, with Keytruda growth and pipeline progress supporting the investment case. Merck Stock Moves Above 50-Day SMA: Assessing Its Investment Case
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck was highlighted in research roundups and conference coverage, but these items were mainly recap-oriented and did not introduce a major new catalyst. Top Research Reports for Merck, Southern Company & Lumentum Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) Presents at Goldman Sachs 47th Annual Global Healthcare Conference 2026 Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Merck and Gilead also ended a Phase III non-small-cell lung cancer study after it failed to meet its efficacy bar, which may temper enthusiasm around some of Merck’s oncology pipeline efforts. Will HIV Win and Lung Cancer Loss in Trials Recast Merck’s (MRK) Risk Reward Narrative?

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Down 0.5%

Shares of MRK opened at $118.99 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $293.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.52, a PEG ratio of 2.69 and a beta of 0.21. 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. has a fifty-two week low of $76.66 and a fifty-two week high of $125.14. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $116.58 and a 200-day moving average price of $113.02.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($1.47) by $0.19. The firm had revenue of $16.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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 quarterly revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.22 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.17 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The company 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 2.9%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio is currently 95.77%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have commented on MRK shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $150.00 price target for the company in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $142.00 price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Monday, March 30th. Wells Fargo & Company cut 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 note on Friday, May 1st. UBS Group boosted 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 note on Monday, April 13th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. 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's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $128.18.

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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