Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Position Lifted by Compound Planning Inc.

Key Points

• Compound Planning Inc. increased its Merck stake by 60.6% in the fourth quarter, bringing its holdings to 62,935 shares valued at about $6.6 million. Other institutional investors also added to or initiated positions, and institutions now own 76.07% of the stock.
• Merck reported better-than-expected quarterly results, posting EPS of -$1.28 versus estimates of -$1.47 and revenue of $16.29 billion versus $15.85 billion expected. The company also reaffirmed FY 2026 guidance of $5.04 to $5.16 EPS.
• The biggest recent catalyst is the FDA expansion of CAPVAXIVE, which is now approved for children and adolescents ages 2 to 17 at increased risk for pneumococcal disease. Analysts remain broadly positive, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $128.18.

Compound Planning Inc. raised its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 60.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 62,935 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 23,752 shares during the period. Compound Planning Inc.'s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $6,625,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of MRK. Kingdom Financial Group LLC. acquired a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Abound Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Prosperity Bancshares Inc bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. United Financial Planning Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, High Note Wealth LLC raised its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 58.9% during the 4th quarter. High Note Wealth LLC now owns 294 shares of the company's stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 109 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Down 1.2%

Shares of NYSE MRK opened at $114.04 on Friday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12-month low of $76.66 and a 12-month high of $125.14. The company has a market cap of $281.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.21. 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 stock's 50 day simple moving average is $116.12 and its 200 day simple moving average is $113.60.

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

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.85 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.0%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s payout ratio is 95.77%.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: The U.S. FDA approved an additional indication for CAPVAXIVE, Merck’s pneumococcal vaccine, expanding its use to children and adolescents ages 2 through 17 at increased risk for pneumococcal disease. The expanded label could support longer-term sales growth and reinforces Merck’s vaccine franchise. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck also announced broader corporate activity around AI drug discovery with Protillion Biosciences and a global HPV awareness campaign, which may help pipeline development and brand visibility over time but are not immediate revenue drivers. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: A separate survey from Merck Animal Health highlighted unmet needs in treating canine allergic skin disease, suggesting future product opportunity, but it is a relatively small and less immediate catalyst for the stock. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the FDA win, MRK has still been trading lower recently, reflecting broader weakness in the shares and suggesting investors may be waiting for more evidence that new and existing products can offset slower growth in other parts of the portfolio. Article Title

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MRK has been the topic of several research analyst reports. UBS Group raised their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, June 6th. 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 downgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Finally, Barclays assumed coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Friday, February 20th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $140.00 price target for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average 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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