Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Bought by Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A.

Key Points

• Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking increased its Merck stake by 49.1% in the first quarter, adding 96,637 shares and bringing its total holdings to 293,491 shares worth about $35.3 million.
• Merck’s latest quarterly results beat expectations, with EPS of -$1.28 versus -$1.47 expected and revenue of $16.29 billion, up 4.9% year over year.
• The company also declared a $0.85 quarterly dividend payable July 8, while analysts remain broadly positive with a Moderate Buy consensus and an average price target of $131.83.

Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. grew its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 49.1% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 293,491 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 96,637 shares during the period. Merck & Co., Inc. accounts for approximately 1.2% of Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 14th largest position. Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A.'s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $35,304,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in MRK. Brighton Jones LLC raised its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 29.5% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 38,278 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,808,000 after acquiring an additional 8,710 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 52.2% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 11,494 shares of the company's stock valued at $910,000 after purchasing an additional 3,941 shares in the last quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC lifted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 94.1% in the second quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC now owns 32,256 shares of the company's stock worth $2,590,000 after acquiring an additional 15,636 shares during the last quarter. Diversify Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 22.2% during the 2nd quarter. Diversify Wealth Management LLC now owns 38,031 shares of the company's stock worth $3,054,000 after purchasing an additional 6,897 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 111.7% during the 2nd quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 681,128 shares of the company's stock worth $53,918,000 after acquiring an additional 359,356 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

MRK opened at $129.34 on Friday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1-year low of $76.66 and a 1-year high of $130.29. The stock has a market cap of $319.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.43, a P/E/G ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 0.19. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $117.04 and its 200 day simple moving average is $115.27. 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 posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($1.47) by $0.19. The company 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%.Merck & Co., Inc.'s quarterly revenue was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.22 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.19 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th will be given a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s payout ratio is currently 95.77%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MRK has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Citigroup assumed coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $125.00 target price on the stock. Wall Street Zen upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, June 6th. Scotiabank raised their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $136.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a "sector outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday. Bank of America boosted their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $142.00 price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Monday, March 30th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $131.83.

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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