Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Sold by UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC

Key Points

• UBS AM reduced its Merck stake by 1.6% in the fourth quarter, selling 316,462 shares and leaving it with 19.4 million shares worth about $2.05 billion.
• Analyst sentiment remains constructive, with RBC maintaining an outperform rating, Wells Fargo keeping an overweight view despite a lower price target, and the stock carrying a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating with an average target of $128.18.
• Merck reported mixed but solid fundamentals: quarterly EPS beat expectations, revenue rose 4.9% year over year, and the company announced a $0.85 quarterly dividend yielding about 2.9%.

UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC lowered its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 1.6% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 19,433,403 shares of the company's stock after selling 316,462 shares during the period. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC owned approximately 0.78% of Merck & Co., Inc. worth $2,045,560,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. D.A. Davidson & CO. grew its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 4.4% in the fourth quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 576,959 shares of the company's stock valued at $60,731,000 after purchasing an additional 24,576 shares in the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 48.9% in the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 97,818 shares of the company's stock valued at $10,296,000 after purchasing an additional 32,114 shares in the last quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 12.7% in the third quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 123,366 shares of the company's stock valued at $10,364,000 after purchasing an additional 13,940 shares in the last quarter. NEOS Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 39.9% in the third quarter. NEOS Investment Management LLC now owns 347,684 shares of the company's stock valued at $29,181,000 after purchasing an additional 99,074 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Campbell Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the third quarter valued at approximately $1,866,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Roundup

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

Several research firms have commented on MRK. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $142.00 price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a 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. Wells Fargo & Company lowered 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 report on Friday, May 1st. Citigroup began coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $125.00 price target for the company. Finally, Barclays began coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Friday, February 20th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $140.00 price target for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $128.18.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 1.4%

Shares of NYSE:MRK opened at $119.05 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $294.04 billion, a PE ratio of 33.54, a P/E/G ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 0.21. The company has a current ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02. Merck & Co., Inc. has a twelve month low of $76.66 and a twelve month high of $125.14. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $116.55 and a 200-day simple moving average of $113.23.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($1.47) by $0.19. The business had revenue of $16.29 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.85 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 13.59% and a return on equity of 27.55%. The company's revenue was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.22 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.17 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

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