Jennison Associates LLC Acquires New Holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Jennison Associates LLC bought a new stake of 5,559,488 shares in Merck, valued at about $585.2 million, representing roughly 0.22% of the company.
• Merck beat Q1 revenue estimates with $16.29 billion (sales up 4.9%) and reported EPS of ($1.28) (slightly ahead of consensus), but the quarter showed a GAAP loss driven by a one‑time Cidara acquisition charge; FY‑2026 guidance was set at $5.040–5.160 EPS and $65.8B–$67.0B revenue.
• Analysts have lifted price targets and the stock carries a consensus "Moderate Buy" with a target of $128.47, even as insiders have sold shares recently (about 320,176 shares in the last 90 days).

Jennison Associates LLC bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 5,559,488 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $585,192,000. Jennison Associates LLC owned about 0.22% of Merck & Co., Inc. as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. First Pacific Financial boosted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 14.7% during the third quarter. First Pacific Financial now owns 47,555 shares of the company's stock worth $3,991,000 after purchasing an additional 6,082 shares during the last quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. boosted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 4.4% during the fourth quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 576,959 shares of the company's stock worth $60,731,000 after purchasing an additional 24,576 shares during the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 48.9% during the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 97,818 shares of the company's stock worth $10,296,000 after purchasing an additional 32,114 shares during the last quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 12.7% during the third quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 123,366 shares of the company's stock worth $10,364,000 after purchasing an additional 13,940 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Campbell Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the third quarter worth $1,866,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat revenue and consensus loss estimates; Keytruda and newer products drove sales growth and management raised adjusted profit outlook — this supports upside to near‑term fundamentals and investor confidence. Merck beats quarterly estimates on strength of Keytruda and new products, narrows outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Merck announced first patient dosed in two Phase 3 trials of enpatoran for lupus skin disease — a late‑stage clinical milestone that could add a new growth opportunity if successful. Merck Announces First Dose in Phase 3 Study with Enpatoran
• Positive Sentiment: Guggenheim reaffirmed a Buy rating on MRK — a third‑party vote of confidence that can support investor demand. Guggenheim Reaffirms Their Buy Rating on Merck & Company (MRK)
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck updated FY‑2026 guidance to EPS $5.040–5.160 and revenue $65.8B–$67.0B — roughly in line with consensus (EPS ~5.07; revenue ~66.5B), so guidance neither materially surprises to the upside nor signals major downside. Merck Announces First-Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Some analysts (Erste Group) trimmed FY estimates marginally — small model adjustments that are unlikely to drive a large re‑rating by themselves. Erste Group cuts FY2026 EPS estimate
• Negative Sentiment: GAAP Q1 showed a loss because of an acquisition‑related (Cidara) charge, offsetting otherwise stronger product sales — the one‑time charge creates headline risk and can pressure near‑term stock reactions despite operating growth. Merck posts quarterly loss due to Cidara charge, sales rise 5%

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of MRK opened at $111.07 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 1.54, a quick ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89. The firm has a market capitalization of $274.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.23 and a beta of 0.26. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $117.94 and its 200 day simple moving average is $107.38. Merck & Co., Inc. has a twelve month low of $73.31 and a twelve month high of $125.14.

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 for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($1.31) by $0.03. The business had revenue of $16.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.91 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 44.57% and a net margin of 28.08%.The business's quarterly revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.22 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 4.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 37,685 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.92, for a total value of $4,556,870.20. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 160,174 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $19,368,240.08. This trade represents a 19.05% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Robert M. Davis sold 47,434 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.04, for a total value of $5,599,109.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 443,602 shares in the company, valued at $52,362,780.08. This trade represents a 9.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 320,176 shares of company stock worth $38,281,735. Corporate insiders own 0.17% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on MRK shares. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $135.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Cantor Fitzgerald raised their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $116.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Citigroup raised their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, March 20th. UBS Group raised their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, April 13th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $150.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Friday, February 13th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Merck & Co., Inc. presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $128.47.

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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