Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Purchased by Arete Wealth Advisors LLC

Key Points

• Institutional ownership increased: Arete Wealth Advisors raised its Merck stake by 30.8% to 51,371 shares valued at $6.18 million. Major investors including Norges Bank and Wellington Management also added positions, with institutions collectively owning 76.07% of the stock.
• Mixed financial picture: Merck beat quarterly EPS and revenue expectations, with revenue up 4.9% year over year, but analysts expect full-year earnings of $2.74 per share and near-term earnings pressure. The company pays an annualized $3.40 dividend, yielding 2.6%.
• Pipeline supports a constructive outlook: KEYTRUDA delivered a positive Phase 3 endometrial-cancer trial result, while new HIV-prevention and cholesterol treatments expand Merck’s growth opportunities. Analysts maintain an overall “Moderate Buy” rating with an average price target of $133.94.

Arete Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 30.8% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 51,371 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 12,096 shares during the quarter. Arete Wealth Advisors LLC's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $6,179,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $3,997,933,000. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 14.8% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 86,435,458 shares of the company's stock valued at $9,098,196,000 after acquiring an additional 11,156,354 shares during the period. Cardano Risk Management B.V. acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter valued at $1,012,530,000. Jennison Associates LLC purchased a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter valued at $585,192,000. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 37.9% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 18,753,390 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,973,983,000 after purchasing an additional 5,152,069 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

Shares of MRK opened at $131.85 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $325.64 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.14, a P/E/G ratio of 5.19 and a beta of 0.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a current ratio of 1.30. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1 year low of $76.66 and a 1 year high of $135.05. The company's fifty day moving average is $122.39 and its two-hundred day moving average is $118.10.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($1.47) by $0.19. The company had revenue of $16.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $15.85 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 13.59% and a return on equity of 27.55%. The business's revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.22 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.74 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th were given a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.6%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 95.77%.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck reported that KEYTRUDA met the primary progression-free-survival endpoint in the Phase 3 KEYNOTE-C93 trial for advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer. The result represents a statistically significant benefit over platinum chemotherapy and could support future regulatory filings, strengthening the company’s oncology pipeline. Merck Says KEYTRUDA Beat Chemotherapy in Phase 3 Endometrial Cancer Trial
• Positive Sentiment: Merck is expanding its growth opportunities beyond KEYTRUDA. A royalty-free licensing agreement will enable generic HIV-prevention treatment supply across 129 low- and middle-income countries, while U.S. approval of LIPFENDRA, described as the first oral PCSK9 inhibitor for LDL reduction, broadens its cardiovascular portfolio. Merck Expands HIV PrEP Access and Launches Oral Cholesterol Drug
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo maintained its Buy rating on MRK, signaling continued confidence in the company’s outlook despite near-term earnings pressure. Wells Fargo Sticks to Its Buy Rating for Merck
• Neutral Sentiment: Brokerage firms collectively assigned Merck an average “Moderate Buy” rating, indicating constructive sentiment but not a unanimous expectation of strong upside. Merck Given Average Moderate Buy Rating by Brokerages
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts expect Merck’s upcoming second-quarter earnings to decline, and previews indicate the company may lack the earnings and revenue momentum typically associated with a likely consensus beat. This could limit near-term gains ahead of the report. Merck Q2 Earnings Expected to Decline

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $112.00 to $113.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, July 20th. Scotiabank upped their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $136.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a "sector outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Guggenheim increased their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $120.00 price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Monday, July 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $133.94.

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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