Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Bought by Fisher Asset Management LLC

Key Points

• Fisher Asset Management increased its stake in Merck by 3.3% in the fourth quarter, buying more than 805,000 shares and lifting its holdings to about 24.9 million shares valued at roughly $2.62 billion.
• Merck reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings and revenue, with EPS of -$1.28 versus the -$1.47 consensus estimate and revenue of $16.29 billion, up 4.9% year over year.
• Investor sentiment is being supported by encouraging oncology pipeline developments, including positive late-stage Keytruda combination data and a favorable EU opinion for Keytruda plus Padcev in bladder cancer.

Fisher Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 3.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 24,873,327 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 805,201 shares during the period. Fisher Asset Management LLC owned about 1.00% of Merck & Co., Inc. worth $2,618,166,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. D.A. Davidson & CO. raised its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 4.4% in the 4th quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 576,959 shares of the company's stock valued at $60,731,000 after purchasing an additional 24,576 shares in the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 48.9% during the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 97,818 shares of the company's stock valued at $10,296,000 after acquiring an additional 32,114 shares in the last quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 12.7% during the 3rd quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 123,366 shares of the company's stock valued at $10,364,000 after acquiring an additional 13,940 shares in the last quarter. NEOS Investment Management LLC raised its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 39.9% during the 3rd quarter. NEOS Investment Management LLC now owns 347,684 shares of the company's stock valued at $29,181,000 after acquiring an additional 99,074 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Campbell Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $1,866,000. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of NYSE MRK opened at $122.55 on Monday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1-year low of $75.40 and a 1-year high of $125.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.30 and a quick ratio of 1.06. The business's fifty day moving average price is $115.92 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $110.41. The firm has a market capitalization of $302.67 billion, a PE ratio of 34.52, a P/E/G ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.18.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.85 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.22 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter 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. On average, research analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.16 EPS for the current year.

Trending Headlines about Merck & Co., Inc.

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.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MRK has been the topic of several research reports. Cantor Fitzgerald upped their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $116.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Wall Street Zen lowered Merck & Co., Inc. from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, May 16th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $150.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Guggenheim upped their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $122.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $145.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 1st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target 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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