Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Purchased by Invesco Ltd.

Key Points

• Invesco Ltd. increased its Merck stake by 3.5% in the fourth quarter, adding 701,249 shares to reach 20.5 million shares worth about $2.16 billion. Other institutional investors also made modest additions, and institutions now own 76.07% of Merck’s stock.
• Merck’s shares were down 1.2% in Friday trading, even as the company reported stronger-than-expected quarterly results. Fourth-quarter earnings beat estimates, revenue rose 4.9% year over year, and Merck reaffirmed FY2026 guidance of $5.04 to $5.16 per share.
• Merck announced a quarterly dividend of $0.85 per share, payable July 8, implying a 3.0% annualized yield. Analysts currently rate the stock a “Moderate Buy,” with a consensus target price of $128.18.

Invesco Ltd. raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 3.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 20,546,185 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 701,249 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. owned about 0.83% of Merck & Co., Inc. worth $2,162,691,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Chesapeake Wealth Management boosted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. Chesapeake Wealth Management now owns 14,740 shares of the company's stock worth $1,552,000 after buying an additional 87 shares in the last quarter. South Plains Financial Inc. increased its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. South Plains Financial Inc. now owns 15,535 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,635,000 after acquiring an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. Syverson Strege & Co raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.2% during the fourth quarter. Syverson Strege & Co now owns 4,142 shares of the company's stock worth $436,000 after acquiring an additional 90 shares during the last quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.1% during the fourth quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,142 shares of the company's stock worth $331,000 after acquiring an additional 93 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Valued Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 26.9% in the fourth quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 444 shares of the company's stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 94 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 1.2%

Shares of NYSE MRK opened at $114.04 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $281.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.21. 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 $125.14. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $116.12 and its 200 day moving average price is $113.60.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 company had revenue of $16.29 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.85 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.22 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc.'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. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.17 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently commented on MRK shares. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $145.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $142.00 target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Monday, March 30th. Citigroup initiated coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $125.00 price target for the company. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, April 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $128.18.

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

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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