Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK is Conning Inc.'s 5th Largest Position

Key Points

• Conning Inc. reduced its Merck position by 12% in the fourth quarter, but the stock still ranks as its 5th-largest holding and makes up 1.2% of the portfolio.
• Merck’s latest quarterly results beat expectations, with EPS of -$1.28 versus estimates of -$1.47 and revenue of $16.29 billion topping forecasts. Management also reiterated FY2026 EPS guidance of 5.04 to 5.16.
• Analyst sentiment remains generally positive: UBS raised its target to $145 and several firms upgraded or maintained favorable ratings, leaving Merck with a Moderate Buy consensus and an average price target of $128.18.

Conning Inc. lessened its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 12.0% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 352,977 shares of the company's stock after selling 48,082 shares during the period. Merck & Co., Inc. accounts for 1.2% of Conning Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 5th biggest position. Conning Inc.'s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $37,154,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of MRK. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.9% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 254,322,763 shares of the company's stock worth $26,770,014,000 after purchasing an additional 2,185,853 shares during the period. DLD Asset Management LP raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 30.1% during the 3rd quarter. DLD Asset Management LP now owns 47,500,000 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,986,675,000 after purchasing an additional 11,000,000 shares during the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 5.9% during the 3rd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 20,659,157 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,733,923,000 after purchasing an additional 1,156,112 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. lifted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 16.6% in the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 19,844,936 shares of the company's stock worth $1,665,585,000 after buying an additional 2,821,766 shares during the period. Finally, Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 20.7% in the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 15,933,909 shares of the company's stock worth $1,336,877,000 after buying an additional 2,735,459 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Key Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlighted that Keytruda continues to be a major growth driver for Merck, with strong first-quarter sales and potential upside from new indications and combination therapies in 2026. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck is being discussed in a broader biotech/biopharma context, including Veeva’s upcoming summit where Merck will participate in AI and commercial strategy discussions. This is more of an industry event than a direct earnings or pipeline catalyst. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Separate commentary noted that Merck has attracted investor attention on Zacks and that recent share-price performance has been mixed, which may be keeping traders focused on valuation rather than prompting a fresh buy or sell signal. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Another market note said Merck’s short-term momentum has cooled after recent weakness, even though longer-term performance remains strong. That suggests investors are weighing the recent pullback against the company’s solid fundamentals. Article Title

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently issued reports on MRK. UBS Group boosted their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Wall Street Zen raised Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, March 28th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. 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 objective on the stock. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald raised their target price 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. One 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, Merck & Co., Inc. has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $128.18.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Down 0.2%

MRK opened at $113.21 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52 week low of $73.31 and a 52 week high of $125.14. The stock has a market cap of $279.60 billion, a PE ratio of 31.89, a PEG ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 0.18. The business has a 50 day moving average of $116.18 and a 200-day moving average of $109.19.

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%.The firm's quarterly revenue was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior 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 research analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.16 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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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