ICICI Prudential Asset Management Co Ltd Sells 43,800 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• ICICI Prudential Asset Management reduced its Merck position by 41.6% in the fourth quarter, selling 43,800 shares and leaving it with 61,500 shares worth about $6.47 million.
• Merck continues to attract major institutional interest overall, with large investors such as Norges Bank, DLD Asset Management, and others increasing or initiating stakes; institutions now own 76.07% of the company.
• Recent news around Merck has been mostly constructive, including Merck Animal Health’s planned acquisition of TARGAN, a stock move back above its 50-day moving average, and Wells Fargo reaffirming a Buy rating.

ICICI Prudential Asset Management Co Ltd cut its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 41.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 61,500 shares of the company's stock after selling 43,800 shares during the period. ICICI Prudential Asset Management Co Ltd's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $6,473,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in MRK. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter worth about $3,997,933,000. DLD Asset Management LP boosted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 30.1% during the 3rd 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 bought a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter worth about $585,192,000. Invesco Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 16.6% during the 3rd 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. Finally, Ameriprise Financial Inc. boosted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 20.7% during the 3rd 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. Institutional investors own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck Animal Health announced a definitive agreement to acquire TARGAN, adding a biodevice company focused on poultry performance and strengthening Merck’s animal health growth platform. Merck Animal Health to Acquire TARGAN
• Positive Sentiment: MRK regained its 50-day moving average and remains above its 200-day trendline, with articles pointing to Keytruda growth, pipeline advances, and recent deals as supporting factors. Merck Stock Moves Above 50-Day SMA: Assessing Its Investment Case
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo reiterated its Buy rating on Merck, reinforcing a constructive analyst view on the stock. Wells Fargo Keeps Their Buy Rating on Merck & Company (MRK)
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent “most searched stocks” and market commentary indicate rising investor attention, but do not point to a specific new fundamental development for MRK. Investors Heavily Search Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK): Here is What You Need to Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader healthcare-dealmaking momentum may be supportive for sector sentiment, but it is an indirect driver for Merck rather than a company-specific catalyst. Pharma and Biotech M&A Boom Accelerates as Companies Expand Pipelines
• Neutral Sentiment: Articles highlighting Merck’s recent outperformance versus its moving averages and strong Keytruda franchise are supportive, but largely reflect ongoing investor optimism rather than a new surprise. Merck Stock Moves Above 50-Day SMA: Assessing Its Investment Case
• Negative Sentiment: One market note said Merck rose but still lagged the broader market, implying investors may be favoring faster-moving names elsewhere despite MRK’s gains. Merck (MRK) Rises Yet Lags Behind Market: Some Facts Worth Knowing

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $145.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $142.00 price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday, March 30th. Barclays assumed coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Friday, February 20th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $140.00 price objective on the stock. Citigroup initiated coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $125.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $150.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $128.18.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $120.81 on Friday. The company's 50 day moving average price is $116.59 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $113.19. 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. has a 52 week low of $76.66 and a 52 week high of $125.14. The stock has a market cap of $298.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.03, a P/E/G ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 0.21.

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, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($1.47) by $0.19. The company had revenue of $16.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $15.85 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 13.59% and a return on equity of 27.55%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.22 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.17 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th will be paid a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.'s payout ratio is currently 95.77%.

Merck & Co., Inc. Company 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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