Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Sold by Evelyn Partners Investment Management LLP

Evelyn Partners Investment Management LLP lowered its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 43.1% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 13,985 shares of the company's stock after selling 10,575 shares during the period. Evelyn Partners Investment Management LLP's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $1,472,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Ariadne Wealth Management LP grew its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 4.3% during the fourth quarter. Ariadne Wealth Management LP now owns 6,572 shares of the company's stock valued at $692,000 after buying an additional 273 shares during the last quarter. Avid Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter valued at $223,000. Brown Advisory Inc. raised its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.9% in the 4th quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. now owns 1,304,926 shares of the company's stock worth $137,356,000 after acquiring an additional 36,941 shares during the last quarter. Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter worth $631,000. Finally, Arete Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 13.0% during the 4th quarter. Arete Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 39,275 shares of the company's stock worth $4,134,000 after acquiring an additional 4,528 shares during the period. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck Animal Health announced a definitive agreement to acquire TARGAN, a poultry biodevice company, which could strengthen Merck’s animal health division and broaden its technology-driven growth opportunities. Merck Animal Health to Acquire TARGAN
• Positive Sentiment: Merck saw unusually heavy call option buying, with traders purchasing 170,441 calls, a sharp jump versus normal volume that often signals bullish expectations from sophisticated investors.
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo reiterated a buy rating on Merck, while another article highlighted that Wall Street’s overall bullish view continues to keep MRK on investors’ radar.
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck has also been featured in broader market commentary and “most searched” lists, suggesting rising attention rather than a new fundamental catalyst.
• Neutral Sentiment: One article noted Merck’s recent trading uptick but said it lagged the broader market, indicating modest price strength rather than a major breakout. Merck (MRK) Rises Yet Lags Behind Market: Some Facts Worth Knowing

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MRK has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings lowered Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $142.00 target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday, March 30th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, June 6th. Barclays started coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Friday, February 20th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $140.00 price target for the company. Finally, 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. One research 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 stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $128.18.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Up 0.0%

Shares of MRK opened at $119.05 on Monday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52 week low of $76.66 and a 52 week high of $125.14. The company has a quick ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02. The company has a market capitalization of $294.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.54, a PEG ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 0.21. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $116.55 and its 200-day moving average price is $113.32.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last announced 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 analysts' expectations of $15.85 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.22 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc.'s quarterly 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. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.17 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.85 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.9%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 95.77%.

About Merck & Co., Inc.

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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