KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS Cuts Position in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS cut its stake in Merck by 3.7% in Q4, holding 1,275,270 shares (about 0.05% of Merck) worth $135.15 million and making MRK its 25th largest holding (~0.5% of the fund's portfolio).
• Company insiders have been net sellers recently: CEO Robert Davis sold 47,434 shares and EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 121,573 shares, with insiders selling 320,176 shares worth roughly $38.3 million in the last 90 days.
• Merck faces mixed catalysts — positive regulatory moves (FDA approval of IDVYNSO, EU approval for ENFLONSIA, and a KEYTRUDA priority review) could boost future revenues, but a Phase 3 LITESPARK‑012 trial failure is a near‑term negative driving the stock decline.

KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS lessened its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 3.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,275,270 shares of the company's stock after selling 48,900 shares during the period. Merck & Co., Inc. makes up approximately 0.5% of KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS's portfolio, making the stock its 25th biggest holding. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS owned 0.05% of Merck & Co., Inc. worth $135,153,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Hobbs Group Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter worth approximately $252,000. Fiduciary Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter worth approximately $214,000. L. Roy Papp & Associates LLP boosted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 5.1% in the 4th quarter. L. Roy Papp & Associates LLP now owns 8,774 shares of the company's stock worth $924,000 after buying an additional 428 shares during the last quarter. Crown Wealth Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 8.3% in the 4th quarter. Crown Wealth Group LLC now owns 4,659 shares of the company's stock worth $490,000 after buying an additional 356 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Delta Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter worth approximately $228,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MRK has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $135.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, April 6th. TD Cowen boosted their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $142.00 target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Monday, March 30th. 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 company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $128.47.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO Robert M. Davis sold 47,434 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. 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 approximately $52,362,780.08. The trade was a 9.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 121,573 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction on Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.15, for a total value of $14,485,422.95. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 68,916 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $8,211,341.40. This trade represents a 63.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 320,176 shares of company stock valued at $38,281,735 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.09% of the company's stock.

More Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: FDA approves IDVYNSO (doravirine/islatravir), a once‑daily, two‑drug, non‑INSTI HIV‑1 regimen for virologically suppressed adults — expands Merck’s HIV portfolio and offers a new, potentially commercial product line. FDA Approves Merck's Once-Daily IDVYNSO™ (doravirine/islatravir)
• Positive Sentiment: FDA grants priority review for KEYTRUDA in combination with Padcev for cisplatin‑eligible muscle‑invasive bladder cancer — a label expansion that could boost Keytruda sales if approved. FDA Grants Priority Review for KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab) and KEYTRUDA QLEX™ (pembrolizumab and berahyaluronidase alfa-pmph), Each with Padcev®
• Positive Sentiment: European approval for ENFLONSIA (RSV antibody) to protect infants — another commercial approval adding to Merck’s vaccine/antibody franchise. Merck Wins EU Approval for ENFLONSIA to Protect Infants from RSV
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck launched a bio‑based solvent portfolio for HPLC (renewable feedstocks) — a sustainability/operational product launch with modest near‑term revenue impact but supports ESG positioning. Merck Launches First Bio-Based Solvent Portfolio for High-Performance Liquid Chromatography
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry reports reaffirm the growing immuno‑oncology market and Keytruda’s leading position — a supportive macro narrative but high R&D and pricing risks remain. Immuno-Oncology Drugs Market Opportunity Analysis and Forecast Report 2026-2035
• Negative Sentiment: Merck and Eisai said their Phase 3 LITESPARK‑012 combination in first‑line advanced renal cell carcinoma failed to meet primary endpoints — the late‑stage setback is the main near‑term negative catalyst and is driving the share decline today. Merck‑Eisai's combination cancer therapy fails to meet main goals of late‑stage study

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of NYSE MRK opened at $112.63 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $278.18 billion, a PE ratio of 15.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 0.26. Merck & Co., Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $73.31 and a fifty-two week high of $125.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 1.30 and a current ratio of 1.54. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $119.02 and a 200-day moving average of $106.48.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.04 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.01 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $16.40 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $16.19 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 44.57% and a net margin of 28.08%.The firm's quarterly revenue was up 5.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.72 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.000-5.150 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 4.93 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 7th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 16th were given a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 16th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.0%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s payout ratio is 46.70%.

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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