Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Sold by Compass Capital Management Inc.

Key Points

• Compass Capital Management reduced its Merck stake by 13.3% in the fourth quarter, selling 104,841 shares and leaving it with 682,027 shares valued at about $71.8 million.
• Institutional interest in Merck remains strong overall, with several large investors adding to positions and 76.07% of the stock held by institutions and hedge funds.
• Analyst sentiment is mostly positive: Merck carries an average “Moderate Buy” rating, with a consensus price target of $128.18, while the stock recently traded around $120.81 after reporting better-than-expected quarterly revenue and EPS.

Compass Capital Management Inc. cut its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 13.3% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 682,027 shares of the company's stock after selling 104,841 shares during the quarter. Merck & Co., Inc. accounts for 4.0% of Compass Capital Management Inc.'s holdings, making the stock its 4th largest holding. Compass Capital Management Inc.'s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $71,790,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of MRK. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter valued at $3,997,933,000. DLD Asset Management LP grew its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 30.1% in the third quarter. DLD Asset Management LP now owns 47,500,000 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,986,675,000 after buying an additional 11,000,000 shares in the last quarter. Jennison Associates LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter valued at $585,192,000. Invesco Ltd. grew its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 16.6% in the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 19,844,936 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,665,585,000 after buying an additional 2,821,766 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ameriprise Financial Inc. grew its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 20.7% in the third quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 15,933,909 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,336,877,000 after buying an additional 2,735,459 shares in the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on MRK. Citigroup began coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $125.00 price objective for the company. UBS Group lifted their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Barclays began coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Friday, February 20th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $140.00 price objective for the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $150.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $142.00 target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Monday, March 30th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $128.18.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Up 1.4%

MRK opened at $120.81 on Friday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12 month low of $76.66 and a 12 month high of $125.14. The stock has a market capitalization of $298.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.03, a PEG ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 0.21. 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 has a fifty day moving average price of $116.59 and a 200 day moving average price of $113.19.

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. 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $15.85 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.22 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc.'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. Sell-side analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.85 per share. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.'s payout ratio is 95.77%.

More Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck Animal Health announced a definitive agreement to acquire TARGAN, adding a biodevice company focused on poultry performance and strengthening Merck’s animal health growth platform. Merck Animal Health to Acquire TARGAN
• Positive Sentiment: MRK regained its 50-day moving average and remains above its 200-day trendline, with articles pointing to Keytruda growth, pipeline advances, and recent deals as supporting factors. Merck Stock Moves Above 50-Day SMA: Assessing Its Investment Case
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo reiterated its Buy rating on Merck, reinforcing a constructive analyst view on the stock. Wells Fargo Keeps Their Buy Rating on Merck & Company (MRK)
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent “most searched stocks” and market commentary indicate rising investor attention, but do not point to a specific new fundamental development for MRK. Investors Heavily Search Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK): Here is What You Need to Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader healthcare-dealmaking momentum may be supportive for sector sentiment, but it is an indirect driver for Merck rather than a company-specific catalyst. Pharma and Biotech M&A Boom Accelerates as Companies Expand Pipelines
• Neutral Sentiment: Articles highlighting Merck’s recent outperformance versus its moving averages and strong Keytruda franchise are supportive, but largely reflect ongoing investor optimism rather than a new surprise. Merck Stock Moves Above 50-Day SMA: Assessing Its Investment Case
• Negative Sentiment: One market note said Merck rose but still lagged the broader market, implying investors may be favoring faster-moving names elsewhere despite MRK’s gains. Merck (MRK) Rises Yet Lags Behind Market: Some Facts Worth Knowing

Merck & Co., Inc. Company 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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