Handelsbanken Fonder AB Boosts Stock Holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Handelsbanken Fonder AB boosted its Merck stake by 13.9% in the fourth quarter, buying an additional 224,752 shares and bringing its total holding to 1,843,042 shares worth about $194 million.
• Merck reported quarterly earnings of -$1.28 per share, beating analyst expectations, while revenue of $16.29 billion also came in above estimates and rose 4.9% year over year.
• Wall Street sentiment remains moderately positive, with analysts assigning Merck an average “Moderate Buy” rating and a consensus price target of $128.18.

Handelsbanken Fonder AB increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 13.9% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,843,042 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 224,752 shares during the period. Merck & Co., Inc. makes up approximately 0.6% of Handelsbanken Fonder AB's portfolio, making the stock its 24th largest position. Handelsbanken Fonder AB owned about 0.07% of Merck & Co., Inc. worth $193,999,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MRK. DLD Asset Management LP raised its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 30.1% during the third quarter. DLD Asset Management LP now owns 47,500,000 shares of the company's stock worth $3,986,675,000 after purchasing an additional 11,000,000 shares in the last quarter. Jennison Associates LLC purchased a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter worth about $585,192,000. Invesco Ltd. raised its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 16.6% during the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 19,844,936 shares of the company's stock worth $1,665,585,000 after purchasing an additional 2,821,766 shares in the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. raised its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 20.7% during the third quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 15,933,909 shares of the company's stock worth $1,336,877,000 after purchasing an additional 2,735,459 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.9% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 254,322,763 shares of the company's stock worth $26,770,014,000 after purchasing an additional 2,185,853 shares in the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Up 1.1%

Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $112.63 on Tuesday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12-month low of $75.40 and a 12-month high of $125.14. The company has a current ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02. The stock has a market cap of $278.18 billion, a PE ratio of 31.73, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 0.18. The company has a 50-day moving average of $115.94 and a two-hundred day moving average of $109.54.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last issued 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. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 13.59% and a return on equity of 27.55%. The company had revenue of $16.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $15.85 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.22 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.16 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently issued reports on MRK. TD Cowen increased their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $142.00 price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Monday, March 30th. Cantor Fitzgerald increased their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $116.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Barclays began coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Friday, February 20th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $140.00 price target for the company. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Merck & Co., Inc. presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target 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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