Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Holdings Decreased by New Age Alpha Advisors LLC

Key Points

• New Age Alpha Advisors LLC cut its Merck stake by 18.1% in the fourth quarter, selling 28,212 shares and leaving it with 127,557 shares valued at about $13.4 million.
• Merck’s latest news flow is encouraging for its oncology pipeline, including positive late-stage lung cancer data for a Keytruda combination and a favorable EU opinion for Keytruda plus Padcev in bladder cancer.
• Despite some non-oncology headwinds such as weak Gardasil sales, Merck topped quarterly earnings and revenue estimates, and analysts currently rate the stock a Moderate Buy with a consensus target price of $128.18.

New Age Alpha Advisors LLC reduced its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 18.1% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 127,557 shares of the company's stock after selling 28,212 shares during the quarter. Merck & Co., Inc. comprises about 0.6% of New Age Alpha Advisors LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 23rd largest holding. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $13,427,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Chesapeake Wealth Management raised its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.6% during the fourth quarter. Chesapeake Wealth Management now owns 14,740 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,552,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares in the last quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.1% in the fourth quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,142 shares of the company's stock worth $331,000 after acquiring an additional 93 shares in the last quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 26.9% in the fourth quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 444 shares of the company's stock worth $47,000 after acquiring an additional 94 shares in the last quarter. Intrua Financial LLC raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 1.1% in the fourth quarter. Intrua Financial LLC now owns 8,604 shares of the company's stock worth $906,000 after acquiring an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Payne Capital LLC raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. Payne Capital LLC now owns 10,637 shares of the company's stock worth $1,120,000 after acquiring an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck and partner Sichuan Kelun-Biotech reported encouraging late-stage lung cancer data for a Keytruda combination, with the treatment beating Keytruda alone and improving confidence in Merck’s cancer pipeline. Kelun, Merck's lung cancer combo improves survival in late-stage China trial
• Positive Sentiment: The European Medicines Agency’s CHMP issued a positive opinion for Keytruda plus Padcev as a perioperative treatment for certain bladder cancer patients, which could expand the drug pair’s commercial reach if formally approved. Merck Receives Positive EU CHMP Opinion for KEYTRUDA Plus Padcev
• Positive Sentiment: Additional coverage highlighted positive EU recommendations and trial momentum across Merck’s oncology portfolio, suggesting the company is building new growth drivers ahead of future Keytruda patent pressure. Merck stock jumps as Keytruda combo trials boost cancer pipeline
• Neutral Sentiment: Some commentary noted Gardasil sales remain weak due to soft demand in China and other markets, which is a reminder that Merck still has headwinds outside oncology. Will Weak Gardasil Sales Continue to Ail MRK's Vaccines Sales in 2026?
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck’s recent run-up also reflects broader investor optimism after strong quarterly results and improving sentiment around its pipeline, rather than a single one-day event. Merck Stock Climbs on Cancer Data. Why the Drugmaker Is More Than a One-Trick Pony.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $122.55 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02. The company's 50-day moving average price is $115.92 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $110.41. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52 week low of $75.40 and a 52 week high of $125.14. The stock has a market cap of $302.67 billion, a PE ratio of 34.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.18.

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 the consensus estimate of ($1.47) by $0.19. The firm had revenue of $16.29 billion for 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%.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 earned $2.22 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.16 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have commented on the stock. 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. Cantor Fitzgerald boosted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $116.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $142.00 price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday, March 30th. Guggenheim boosted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $122.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Finally, 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. One equities 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 company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price 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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