Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Acquired by Norris Perne & French LLP MI

Key Points

• 12.8% stake increase: Norris Perne & French LLP MI bought 28,635 shares in Q4 and now owns 252,162 Merck shares worth $26.54 million, making MRK its 20th largest position (1.8% of holdings).
• Positive fundamentals and pipeline news: Merck beat quarterly EPS estimates and set FY2026 guidance of $5.00–5.15, while the FDA granted Priority Review for ifinatamab deruxtecan in extensive‑stage small cell lung cancer—a potential multi‑year oncology catalyst.
• Analyst sentiment improving: Multiple upgrades and higher targets (e.g., UBS to $145, Wells Fargo to $150) leave Merck with a MarketBeat consensus of "Moderate Buy" and an average target of $128.47.

Norris Perne & French LLP MI grew its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 12.8% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 252,162 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 28,635 shares during the period. Merck & Co., Inc. makes up 1.8% of Norris Perne & French LLP MI's holdings, making the stock its 20th largest position. Norris Perne & French LLP MI's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $26,543,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Westside Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 93 shares during the period. Payne Capital LLC increased its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. Payne Capital LLC now owns 10,637 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,120,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares during the period. Abound Wealth Management increased its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 6.8% in the fourth quarter. Abound Wealth Management now owns 1,554 shares of the company's stock valued at $164,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares during the period. Mattern Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 1.7% in the fourth quarter. Mattern Wealth Management LLC now owns 6,033 shares of the company's stock valued at $635,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. Finally, Jmac Enterprises LLC grew its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 1.6% during the fourth quarter. Jmac Enterprises LLC now owns 6,616 shares of the company's stock worth $696,000 after acquiring an additional 103 shares during the period. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently commented on MRK shares. Wall Street Zen raised Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, March 28th. Zacks Research raised Merck & Co., Inc. from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $135.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $142.00 target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Monday, March 30th. Finally, TD Cowen raised their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. One investment 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. According to MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $128.47.

Key Headlines Impacting Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck reported a recent quarterly earnings beat and provided FY2026 EPS guidance (5.00–5.15), supporting earnings visibility and cash flow expectations. This underpins valuation rationale (PE ~16.5) and is a fundamental positive for the stock.
• Positive Sentiment: The FDA accepted and granted Priority Review to the Biologics License Application for ifinatamab deruxtecan (I‑DXd) in previously treated extensive‑stage small cell lung cancer — a potential new oncology approval that would expand Merck’s late‑stage cancer portfolio and could be a multi‑year revenue catalyst if approved. Ifinatamab Deruxtecan Priority Review
• Positive Sentiment: UBS raised its price target on MRK from $130 to $145 and reiterated a Buy rating — an analyst upgrade that increases upside expectations and can attract investor interest from funds that track analyst guidance and target‑driven screens. UBS Raises Price Target
• Neutral Sentiment: Morgan Stanley moved MRK to a Hold, providing a counterpoint to UBS’s bullish view; divergent analyst opinions can increase short‑term trading volatility but don’t change fundamentals immediately. Morgan Stanley Hold
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry/market context: commentary that “big pharma is thinking small” and tighter, smaller deals is reshaping biotech partnerships — a structural trend that can benefit Merck’s portfolio strategy but is a slow‑moving tailwind. Big Pharma Deal Trends
• Neutral Sentiment: Competitive/sector headlines — strong moves in peers (e.g., Eli Lilly) and positive clinical readouts at other biotechs — may reallocate investor attention and capital within healthcare; these are background factors that can influence relative performance but aren’t direct hits to Merck fundamentals. Eli Lilly Outlook Biotech Trial Success
• Negative Sentiment: Session selling pressure: market reports noted Merck shares fell in the latest session despite broader market gains — short‑term profit‑taking, rotation out of defensive healthcare names, or positioning ahead of upcoming data/announcements are likely drivers of the move. Merck Stock Sinks (Yahoo) Merck Stock Sinks (Zacks)

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 1.0%

Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $120.19 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $296.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.44 and a beta of 0.26. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52 week low of $73.31 and a 52 week high of $125.14. The business's 50-day moving average price is $119.19 and its 200 day moving average price is $105.13. The company has a quick ratio of 1.30, a current ratio of 1.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.01 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $16.40 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.19 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 44.57% and a net margin of 28.08%.Merck & Co., Inc.'s revenue for the quarter was up 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.72 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.000-5.150 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 7th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 16th were given a dividend of $0.85 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 16th. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio is currently 46.70%.

Insider Activity at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 37,685 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.92, for a total transaction of $4,556,870.20. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 160,174 shares in the company, valued at approximately $19,368,240.08. This represents a 19.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Caroline Litchfield sold 41,997 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.61, for a total value of $5,023,261.17. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 90,192 shares in the company, valued at $10,787,865.12. This represents a 31.77% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 320,176 shares of company stock valued at $38,281,735 in the last ninety days. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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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