Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Sold by Privium Fund Management B.V.

Key Points

• Privium Fund Management B.V. cut its Merck stake by 43.2% in Q4, selling 27,800 shares and ending the period with 36,593 shares valued at about $3.85M (roughly 0.7% of the fund and its 24th-largest holding).
• Merck delivered an earnings beat and set FY2026 guidance of 5.04–5.16 EPS, sparking analyst price-target upgrades and a consensus "Moderate Buy" view backed by Keytruda-driven revenue and pipeline gains (including the recent Terns Pharmaceuticals acquisition).
• Insiders have been net sellers—209,258 shares (~$25.1M) sold in the last 90 days including large sales by the CMO and an EVP—while institutional ownership remains high at 76.07%, with several funds both adding and trimming positions.

Privium Fund Management B.V. reduced its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 43.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 36,593 shares of the company's stock after selling 27,800 shares during the period. Merck & Co., Inc. accounts for about 0.7% of Privium Fund Management B.V.'s holdings, making the stock its 24th biggest holding. Privium Fund Management B.V.'s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $3,852,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of MRK. Brighton Jones LLC increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 29.5% during the fourth 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 increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 52.2% during the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 11,494 shares of the company's stock valued at $910,000 after acquiring an additional 3,941 shares during the last quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 94.1% during the second quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC now owns 32,256 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,590,000 after acquiring an additional 15,636 shares during the last quarter. Diversify Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 22.2% during the second quarter. Diversify Wealth Management LLC now owns 38,031 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,054,000 after acquiring an additional 6,897 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 111.7% during 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 acquiring an additional 359,356 shares during the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck completed the acquisition of Terns Pharmaceuticals, adding clinical-stage oncology assets to its pipeline—a near-term catalyst for growth and synergy expectations. Merck Completes Acquisition of Terns Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and commentators point to continued KEYTRUDA-driven revenue and a strong pipeline; Merck delivered its fourth straight beat, supporting the view the stock may be undervalued on a longer-term basis. Merck Stock Looks Undervalued as KEYTRUDA Growth and Pipeline Offset Near-Term Headwinds
• Positive Sentiment: High-profile media support: Jim Cramer highlighted Merck’s solid quarter and said the stock is “starting to come back,” which can boost retail demand and sentiment. Jim Cramer on Merck & Co.: “The Stock’s Starting to Come Back”
• Neutral Sentiment: Institutional commentary: recent investor letters and analyst write-ups (e.g., Baron Capital coverage) review Merck as a core healthcare holding—useful background but not an immediate catalyst. What Makes Merck & Co. (MRK) an Investment Bet?
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector news: Pfizer beat Q1 estimates but faces a looming patent cliff; competitive results and sector rotation can influence pharma multiples and investor attention, creating mixed pressure across large peers including Merck. Pfizer Beats Sales Estimates As $17 Billion Patent Cliff Looms
• Negative Sentiment: Technical/short-term risk: chart analysts warn a double-top breakdown and moving-average pressures that could produce a deeper correction, which may cap near-term upside despite fundamental positives. Merck (MRK) Price Forecast: Double Top Signals Deeper Correction Risk

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CMO Chirfi Guindo sold 20,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.88, for a total value of $2,437,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief marketing officer owned 80,615 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,825,356.20. This represents a 19.88% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 121,573 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.15, for a total transaction of $14,485,422.95. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 68,916 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $8,211,341.40. The trade was a 63.82% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 209,258 shares of company stock worth $25,101,593. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Up 0.1%

NYSE:MRK opened at $113.21 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $279.62 billion, a PE ratio of 31.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.24 and a beta of 0.18. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $117.51 and a 200 day moving average price of $107.91. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12-month low of $73.31 and a 12-month high of $125.14. The company has a current ratio of 1.54, a quick ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly 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 net margin of 13.59% and a return on equity of 26.84%. The company had revenue of $16.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $15.85 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.22 EPS. The firm'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. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Guggenheim lifted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $122.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, March 20th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $145.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, April 6th. One equities research 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's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Merck & Co., Inc. presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $128.18.

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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