Martingale Asset Management L P Has $34.08 Million Stake in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Martingale Asset Management cut its Merck stake by 10% in the fourth quarter, but still held 323,799 shares worth about $34.08 million at quarter-end.
• Wall Street sentiment on Merck remains constructive: analysts such as UBS, JPMorgan, Barclays, and RBC have issued bullish or positive ratings, and the stock currently carries a Moderate Buy consensus with a $128.18 price target.
• Merck reported quarterly results that beat estimates on both earnings and revenue, and it also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.85 per share, implying a 2.9% annual yield.

Martingale Asset Management L P decreased its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 10.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 323,799 shares of the company's stock after selling 36,028 shares during the quarter. Merck & Co., Inc. makes up about 0.9% of Martingale Asset Management L P's investment portfolio, making the stock its 20th biggest holding. Martingale Asset Management L P's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $34,083,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in MRK. D.A. Davidson & CO. raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 4.4% during the fourth quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 576,959 shares of the company's stock worth $60,731,000 after acquiring an additional 24,576 shares in the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 48.9% during the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 97,818 shares of the company's stock worth $10,296,000 after acquiring an additional 32,114 shares in the last quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 12.7% during the third quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 123,366 shares of the company's stock worth $10,364,000 after acquiring an additional 13,940 shares in the last quarter. NEOS Investment Management LLC raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 39.9% during the third quarter. NEOS Investment Management LLC now owns 347,684 shares of the company's stock worth $29,181,000 after acquiring an additional 99,074 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Campbell Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the third quarter worth $1,866,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have issued reports on MRK. UBS Group upped 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. Citigroup began coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $125.00 price target on the stock. Barclays began coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Friday, February 20th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $140.00 price target on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target 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. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $142.00 price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday, March 30th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $128.18.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck Animal Health announced a definitive agreement to acquire TARGAN, a poultry biodevice company, which could strengthen Merck’s animal health division and broaden its technology-driven growth opportunities. Merck Animal Health to Acquire TARGAN
• Positive Sentiment: Merck saw unusually heavy call option buying, with traders purchasing 170,441 calls, a sharp jump versus normal volume that often signals bullish expectations from sophisticated investors.
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo reiterated a buy rating on Merck, while another article highlighted that Wall Street’s overall bullish view continues to keep MRK on investors’ radar.
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck has also been featured in broader market commentary and “most searched” lists, suggesting rising attention rather than a new fundamental catalyst.
• Neutral Sentiment: One article noted Merck’s recent trading uptick but said it lagged the broader market, indicating modest price strength rather than a major breakout. Merck (MRK) Rises Yet Lags Behind Market: Some Facts Worth Knowing

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of MRK opened at $119.05 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $294.04 billion, a PE ratio of 33.54, a PEG ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 0.21. The company's 50-day moving average is $116.55 and its 200-day moving average is $113.23. Merck & Co., Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $76.66 and a fifty-two week high of $125.14. 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 issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($1.47) by $0.19. The company had revenue of $16.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.85 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 13.59% and a return on equity of 27.55%. The company's revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.22 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.17 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th will be given a dividend of $0.85 per share. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 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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