Acumen Wealth Advisors LLC reduced its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 70.9% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 7,919 shares of the company's stock after selling 19,307 shares during the period. Acumen Wealth Advisors LLC's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $1,024,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 29.5% during 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 last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC grew its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 52.2% in the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 11,494 shares of the company's stock worth $910,000 after acquiring an additional 3,941 shares during the period. Diversify Advisory Services LLC increased its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 94.1% during 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 raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 22.2% in the second quarter. Diversify Wealth Management LLC now owns 38,031 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,054,000 after purchasing an additional 6,897 shares during the period. Finally, MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 111.7% in the second quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 681,128 shares of the company's stock valued at $53,918,000 after purchasing an additional 359,356 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company's stock.
Key Stories Impacting Merck & Co., Inc.
Here are the key news stories impacting Merck & Co., Inc. this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Merck and Moderna reported that their individualized mRNA vaccine, used with Merck’s Keytruda, met the Phase 3 primary endpoint in high-risk melanoma. The combination improved recurrence-free survival and distant-metastasis-free survival compared with Keytruda alone, marking the first positive late-stage result for an mRNA cancer vaccine. The result could expand Merck’s oncology pipeline and help address the eventual loss of Keytruda exclusivity. Merck, Moderna say melanoma skin cancer vaccine meets goals in large trial
- Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley upgraded MRK to overweight and raised its price target to $179 from $116, while UBS lifted its target to $175 and BMO raised its target to $170, reflecting increased confidence in the cancer-vaccine opportunity and Merck’s broader growth prospects. Merck upgraded at Morgan Stanley after cancer trial win; RBC downgrades
- Neutral Sentiment: Analysts cautioned that the initial results are not a complete regulatory or commercial victory. Full data, regulatory approval expected no earlier than 2027, manufacturing execution and the therapy’s eventual pricing and market adoption remain key uncertainties. Moderna's Cancer Vaccine: Are Investors Putting The Cart Before The Horse?
- Negative Sentiment: RBC downgraded MRK to sector perform and set a $150 target, arguing that the roughly $150 valuation is unusually demanding for a company facing a major Keytruda loss of exclusivity in about two years. Jefferies also moved the stock to hold, creating a valuation overhang despite the trial success. Merck’s Cancer-Vaccine Trial Results Surpassed Expectations – So, Why Did RBC Downgrade MRK Stock?
- Negative Sentiment: Broader healthcare weakness and profit-taking after Merck’s sharp rally are adding pressure, while the stock’s elevated valuation leaves less room for disappointment. Sector Update: Healthcare Stocks Fall Thursday Afternoon
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
A number of research firms have recently weighed in on MRK. Weiss Ratings cut Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $142.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Guggenheim increased their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $146.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Citigroup initiated coverage on shares of 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. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Merck & Co., Inc. currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $142.10.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Merck & Co., Inc.
Insider Transactions at Merck & Co., Inc.
In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, EVP Chirfi Guindo sold 15,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $131.00, for a total value of $1,965,000.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 46,613 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,106,303. This trade represents a 24.35% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP David R. Maraldo sold 18,706 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $128.72, for a total value of $2,407,836.32. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 18,212 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,344,248.64. The trade was a 50.67% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 228,238 shares of company stock valued at $29,977,783 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.17% of the company's stock.
Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance
MRK opened at $149.25 on Friday. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $127.43 and its 200 day moving average price is $121.01. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12-month low of $77.58 and a 12-month high of $153.50. The company has a current ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. The firm has a market cap of $368.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 119.40, a PEG ratio of 6.56 and a beta of 0.19.
Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.26) by $0.13. The company had revenue of $16.61 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.37 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 16.73% and a net margin of 4.77%.Merck & Co., Inc.'s revenue was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.13 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.77 earnings per share for the current year.
Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend
The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be paid a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 272.00%.
About Merck & Co., Inc.
(
Free Report)
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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