Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Purchased by Robertson Stephens Wealth Management LLC

Key Points

• Robertson Stephens Wealth Management boosted its Merck stake by 198%, buying 61,239 shares to hold 92,165 shares worth about $9.78 million after the quarter.
• Merck beat Q1 revenue and adjusted EPS but recorded a GAAP loss due to a Cidara-related charge, set FY‑2026 guidance of $5.04–$5.16 EPS (sales $65.8B–$67.0B), and reported regulatory approvals and pipeline progress including new HIV and RSV approvals and Phase 3 enpatoran dosing.
• Other institutions also increased positions (institutional ownership ~76.07%), while insiders sold 320,176 shares (≈$38.3 million) over the past three months.

Robertson Stephens Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 198.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 92,165 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 61,239 shares during the quarter. Robertson Stephens Wealth Management LLC's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $9,778,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of MRK. First Pacific Financial boosted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 14.7% during the 3rd quarter. First Pacific Financial now owns 47,555 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,991,000 after buying an additional 6,082 shares during the period. D.A. Davidson & CO. boosted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 4.4% during the 4th quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 576,959 shares of the company's stock valued at $60,731,000 after buying an additional 24,576 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its stake 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 buying an additional 32,114 shares during the period. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake 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 buying an additional 13,940 shares during the period. Finally, Campbell Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 3rd quarter valued at $1,866,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.07% of the company's stock.

More Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat expectations — Merck posted revenue and adjusted EPS above Street forecasts with Keytruda and Winrevair driving growth; the beats and upbeat commentary lifted investor sentiment. Merck tops Q1 estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Regulatory approvals & pipeline progress expand addressable markets — Merck won FDA approval for a new 2‑drug HIV regimen (IDVYNSO) and EC approval for ENFLONSIA for RSV prevention; the company also dosed the first patient in Phase 3 enpatoran lupus trials, adding long‑term growth optionality. Merck expands beyond oncology
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst action mixed — Wells Fargo trimmed its price target to $145 but kept an Overweight rating, signaling continued confidence despite a modestly lower PT. Wells Fargo lowers PT
• Neutral Sentiment: FY‑2026 guidance and outlook — Merck provided EPS guidance of $5.04–$5.16 and a narrowed sales view ($65.8B–$67.0B). Guidance is close to consensus but tighter ranges mean less revenue upside visibility near term. Merck Q1 financial results
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector context — Biotech peers are mixed (Moderna saw vaccine revenue rebound but its stock fell; Organon missed), so some moves reflect broader healthcare rotation rather than Merck‑specific news. Moderna Covid vaccine drives growth
• Negative Sentiment: Acquisition-related charge produced a GAAP loss — A Cidara-related charge drove a quarterly GAAP loss, which clouds headline profitability despite the operational beat. Merck posts quarterly loss due to Cidara charge
• Negative Sentiment: Longer-term growth risks flagged — Coverage noted potential future pressure from lost sales on some products (e.g., competitive threats to Keytruda, HPV and diabetes medicines) and Merck said it is working on mitigations. That risk keeps some investors cautious. Merck stock falls after earnings

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on MRK shares. Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $116.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, March 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $142.00 price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Monday, March 30th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $145.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Friday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Merck & Co., Inc. has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $128.18.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Up 2.9%

Shares of NYSE:MRK opened at $112.30 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $277.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.43, a P/E/G ratio of 2.21 and a beta of 0.26. The stock's 50-day moving average is $117.69 and its 200-day moving average is $107.39. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52-week low of $73.31 and a 52-week high of $125.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 1.30 and a current ratio of 1.54.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of ($1.47) by $0.19. The business had revenue of $16.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.85 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 13.59% and a return on equity of 26.84%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.22 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 4.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other news, CMO Chirfi Guindo sold 20,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.88, for a total transaction of $2,437,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief marketing officer owned 80,615 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $9,825,356.20. This represents a 19.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CFO Caroline Litchfield sold 41,997 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.61, for a total transaction of $5,023,261.17. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 90,192 shares of the company's stock, 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 320,176 shares of company stock valued at $38,281,735 in the last three months. Company insiders own 0.17% of the company's stock.

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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