Jennison Associates LLC Has $751.73 Million Stock Position in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Jennison Associates LLC increased its Merck stake by 12.4% in the first quarter, ending with 6.25 million shares valued at about $751.7 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds now own roughly 76% of Merck.
• Merck reported stronger-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of -$1.28 versus an expected -$1.47 and revenue of $16.29 billion, topping estimates. The company also reaffirmed long-term growth guidance and analysts see a consensus target of $133.94 with a Moderate Buy rating.
• The company is getting a boost from new product momentum, including FDA approval of LIPFENDRA, its first oral PCSK9 inhibitor, which could expand Merck’s cardiovascular business. This comes as investors focus on pipeline progress to help offset the eventual Keytruda patent cliff.

Jennison Associates LLC raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 12.4% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 6,249,337 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 689,849 shares during the quarter. Jennison Associates LLC owned approximately 0.25% of Merck & Co., Inc. worth $751,733,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Kingdom Financial Group LLC. acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Abound Financial LLC acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Prosperity Bancshares Inc acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. High Note Wealth LLC raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 58.9% during the fourth quarter. High Note Wealth LLC now owns 294 shares of the company's stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 109 shares in the last quarter. Finally, IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. bought a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 0.1%

MRK opened at $127.47 on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $120.11 and a 200 day moving average price of $116.94. Merck & Co., Inc. has a twelve month low of $76.66 and a twelve month high of $131.74. 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 cap of $314.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.39 and a beta of 0.19.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($1.47) by $0.19. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 27.55% and a net margin of 13.59%.The company had revenue of $16.29 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.85 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.22 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter 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. Research analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.76 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

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

Trending Headlines about Merck & Co., Inc.

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MRK has been the subject of several recent research reports. Citigroup assumed coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $125.00 target price for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. CICC Research assumed coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $138.00 price objective for the company. Scotiabank upped their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $136.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a "sector outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $133.94.

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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