Keudell Morrison Wealth Management Invests $1.33 Million in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Keudell Morrison Wealth Management disclosed a new fourth-quarter stake in Merck, buying 12,657 shares valued at about $1.33 million.
• Merck shares were reported up 2.5%, with the stock trading near $115.86 and the company carrying a market cap of about $286.15 billion.
• Recent operating and pipeline updates were mostly positive: Merck beat quarterly earnings and revenue estimates, and new oncology trial results with partners such as Sichuan Kelun-Biotech and Moderna added support to its cancer franchise.

Keudell Morrison Wealth Management purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 12,657 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,332,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Kingdom Financial Group LLC. bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. High Note Wealth LLC raised its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 58.9% during the 4th quarter. High Note Wealth LLC now owns 294 shares of the company's stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 109 shares during the last quarter. Tucker Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter valued at $34,000. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter valued at $37,000. Finally, United Financial Planning Group LLC bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Up 2.5%

Shares of NYSE MRK opened at $115.86 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12 month low of $75.40 and a 12 month high of $125.14. The firm has a market capitalization of $286.15 billion, a PE ratio of 32.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.54 and a beta of 0.18. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $115.79 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $110.13.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) 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 business had revenue of $16.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.85 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.22 EPS. The company'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. Equities analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.16 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck and Sichuan Kelun-Biotech said their lung cancer combination therapy met the main goal in a late-stage China trial, improving survival in patients with advanced lung cancer and adding to confidence in Merck’s Keytruda-based oncology franchise. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Merck and Moderna reported five-year data showing their skin-cancer combination therapy cut the risk of cancer spreading by 59% in a mid-stage melanoma study, reinforcing the commercial potential of Merck’s immuno-oncology pipeline. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Exelixis announced a collaboration with Merck on a late-stage colorectal cancer study, signaling continued pipeline expansion and more shots on goal in oncology. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: A market roundup highlighted Merck among dividend stocks to consider, but the piece was broad and did not provide company-specific catalysts. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: A separate article from Zacks argued that Eli Lilly looks stronger than Merck due to Lilly’s GLP-1 momentum and pipeline, which could weigh on sentiment versus MRK’s peers. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Merck Animal Health was referred to the FTC and FDA over Bravecto Quantum dosing claims after not complying with an advertising review recommendation, creating a regulatory/reputation overhang for the animal-health business. Article Title

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently commented on MRK. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Guggenheim upped their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $122.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Citigroup started coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $125.00 price objective for the company. Finally, UBS Group upped their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, April 13th. One 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $128.18.

About Merck & Co., Inc.

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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