Littlejohn Financial Services Inc. Sells 10,589 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Littlejohn Financial Services reduced its Merck position by 30.7% in the first quarter, selling 10,589 shares and leaving it with 23,886 shares worth about $2.87 million.
• Despite that sale, Merck remains a meaningful holding for the fund, representing 2.2% of its portfolio and its 14th-largest position. Institutional ownership of Merck remains high at 76.07%.
• Analyst sentiment on Merck is generally positive, with several firms issuing or maintaining buy/overweight ratings and a consensus target price of $128.72. The company also recently reported earnings and revenue that beat estimates and reiterated FY 2026 EPS guidance.

Littlejohn Financial Services Inc. decreased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 30.7% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 23,886 shares of the company's stock after selling 10,589 shares during the period. Merck & Co., Inc. accounts for 2.2% of Littlejohn Financial Services Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 14th biggest holding. Littlejohn Financial Services Inc.'s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $2,873,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. D.A. Davidson & CO. boosted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 4.4% in the 4th quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 576,959 shares of the company's stock valued at $60,731,000 after purchasing an additional 24,576 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its position 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 valued at $10,296,000 after purchasing an additional 32,114 shares during the period. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 12.7% in the 3rd quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 123,366 shares of the company's stock valued at $10,364,000 after buying an additional 13,940 shares in the last quarter. Campbell Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the third quarter worth about $1,866,000. Finally, Norris Perne & French LLP MI grew its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 12.8% in the 4th quarter. Norris Perne & French LLP MI now owns 252,162 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,543,000 after purchasing an additional 28,635 shares during the period. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on MRK shares. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, June 6th. CICC Research began coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $138.00 price objective on the stock. UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, April 13th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $145.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, April 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $128.72.

More Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck announced FDA approval for Keytruda and Keytruda Qlex, each combined with Gilead’s Trodelvy, as a first-line treatment for PD-L1+ advanced triple-negative breast cancer, expanding a major revenue-driving franchise. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Merck also won EU approval for Keytruda plus Padcev in resectable muscle-invasive bladder cancer patients who cannot receive cisplatin chemotherapy, another label expansion that could support future sales. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Merck’s collaboration with Gilead continues to generate attention after positive HIV trial results, helping reinforce confidence in the company’s research pipeline and strategic partnerships. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck was highlighted in CNBC’s “Final Trades,” which reflects ongoing market attention but does not by itself change the company’s fundamentals. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks noted that MRK is a trending stock, suggesting elevated investor interest rather than a specific new operating development. Article Title

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

MRK opened at $128.35 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $316.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.15, a P/E/G ratio of 2.89 and a beta of 0.21. The business's 50-day moving average price is $116.08 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $114.43. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1 year low of $76.66 and a 1 year high of $128.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.30 and a quick ratio of 1.06.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($1.47) by $0.19. The business had revenue of $16.29 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.85 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 27.55% and a net margin of 13.59%.Merck & Co., Inc.'s quarterly revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.22 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.17 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th will be given a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.6%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 95.77%.

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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