Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. Trims Stock Holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Hillsdale Investment Management sharply reduced its Merck stake in Q1, selling 27,270 shares and cutting its position by 93.6% to just 1,861 shares valued at about $224,000.
• Merck is drawing attention for positive pipeline and product developments, including FDA approval of LIPFENDRA, its first oral PCSK9 inhibitor, which could add a new cardiovascular revenue stream.
• Despite a recent 0.1% decline in the stock, analysts remain constructive overall, with a consensus Moderate Buy rating and an average price target of $133.94; Merck also recently paid a $0.85 quarterly dividend.

Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. lowered its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 93.6% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,861 shares of the company's stock after selling 27,270 shares during the period. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc.'s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $224,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Kingdom Financial Group LLC. acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Prosperity Bancshares Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Abound Financial LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, High Note Wealth LLC grew its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 58.9% in the fourth quarter. High Note Wealth LLC now owns 294 shares of the company's stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 109 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: The FDA approval of LIPFENDRA gives Merck its first oral PCSK9 inhibitor, opening a new revenue stream in cardiovascular care and strengthening its non-oncology portfolio. Reuters article on FDA approval
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts highlighted continued oncology pipeline progress, including FDA acceptance of multiple regulatory filings and Merck’s broader effort to offset the eventual 2028 Keytruda patent cliff. Seeking Alpha article on pipeline expansion
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage also noted that Lipfendra’s launch is expected soon and that the drug could become a major product over time, though sales will depend on uptake, pricing, and competition from existing cholesterol therapies. Zacks article on Lipfendra launch
• Neutral Sentiment: There was also a rumor that Merck may be in a takeover battle for genomics company Personalis, but this appears speculative and is not confirmed. Yahoo Finance article on Personalis rumor

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Down 0.1%

NYSE MRK opened at $127.47 on Friday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a one year low of $76.66 and a one year high of $131.74. The company's 50 day moving average price is $120.11 and its 200 day moving average price is $116.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a current ratio of 1.30. The firm has a market capitalization of $314.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.91, a PEG ratio of 4.40 and a beta of 0.19.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 the consensus estimate of $15.85 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.22 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc.'s revenue for the quarter was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 3.17 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th were issued a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio is currently 95.77%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MRK has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. UBS Group increased their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, April 13th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated a "neutral" rating and set a $120.00 price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Monday, July 6th. Finally, Scotiabank raised their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $136.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a "sector outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $133.94.

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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