LPL Financial LLC Has $374.30 Million Stock Position in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• LPL Financial LLC increased its Merck stake by 5.5% in the fourth quarter, adding 183,939 shares to reach 3,555,998 shares valued at about $374.3 million.
• Institutional ownership remains high, with several other firms also boosting their positions and institutions collectively holding 76.07% of Merck’s stock.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed but generally positive, with the stock carrying a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $128.18; Merck also beat quarterly earnings and revenue estimates in its latest report.

LPL Financial LLC grew its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 5.5% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 3,555,998 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 183,939 shares during the period. LPL Financial LLC owned 0.14% of Merck & Co., Inc. worth $374,304,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Chesapeake Wealth Management raised its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. Chesapeake Wealth Management now owns 14,740 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,552,000 after acquiring an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. Syverson Strege & Co raised its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.2% in the fourth quarter. Syverson Strege & Co now owns 4,142 shares of the company's stock valued at $436,000 after acquiring an additional 90 shares during the last quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.1% in the fourth quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,142 shares of the company's stock valued at $331,000 after acquiring an additional 93 shares during the last quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 26.9% in the fourth quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 444 shares of the company's stock valued at $47,000 after acquiring an additional 94 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Intrua Financial LLC raised its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 1.1% in the fourth quarter. Intrua Financial LLC now owns 8,604 shares of the company's stock valued at $906,000 after acquiring an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently weighed in on MRK shares. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $145.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Citigroup started coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $125.00 price objective for the company. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, April 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $128.18.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $119.39 on Tuesday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $116.56 and a two-hundred day moving average of $112.68. The stock has a market capitalization of $294.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.63, a PEG ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 0.21. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52 week low of $76.66 and a 52 week high of $125.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a current ratio of 1.30.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last issued its 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. The company had revenue of $16.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $15.85 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 13.59% and a return on equity of 27.55%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.22 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.17 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be given a dividend of $0.85 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.8%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s payout ratio is presently 95.77%.

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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