Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Stake Decreased by Cullen Capital Management LLC

Key Points

• Cullen Capital Management reduced its Merck stake by 2.2% in the fourth quarter, selling 52,411 shares and leaving it with 2.29 million shares valued at about $241.2 million.
• Institutional ownership remains heavy, with 76.07% of Merck shares held by hedge funds and other institutions. Several firms, including Korea Investment CORP and Wealthspire Advisors, increased their positions.
• Analysts remain broadly positive on MRK, with a Moderate Buy consensus and an average price target of $128.18. Recent updates included buy/outperform ratings from multiple firms and a dividend declaration of $0.85 per share.

Cullen Capital Management LLC cut its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 2.2% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 2,291,041 shares of the company's stock after selling 52,411 shares during the quarter. Merck & Co., Inc. accounts for 2.6% of Cullen Capital Management LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 7th biggest holding. Cullen Capital Management LLC owned 0.09% of Merck & Co., Inc. worth $241,155,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Korea Investment CORP boosted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 12.9% in the fourth quarter. Korea Investment CORP now owns 2,006,037 shares of the company's stock valued at $211,155,000 after buying an additional 228,890 shares in the last quarter. Gator Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $3,556,000. Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. boosted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.7% in the fourth quarter. Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. now owns 23,683 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,493,000 after buying an additional 153 shares in the last quarter. Tudor Financial Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 18.3% in the fourth quarter. Tudor Financial Inc. now owns 4,381 shares of the company's stock valued at $461,000 after buying an additional 679 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wealthspire Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 23.5% in the fourth quarter. Wealthspire Advisors LLC now owns 59,303 shares of the company's stock valued at $6,242,000 after buying an additional 11,269 shares in the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently weighed in on MRK shares. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $142.00 price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Monday, March 30th. 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 target on the stock. 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 report on Friday, February 13th. Citigroup started coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $125.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, June 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $128.18.

Key Headlines Impacting Merck & Co., Inc.

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

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

NYSE MRK opened at $119.05 on Friday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $76.66 and a fifty-two week high of $125.14. The stock has a market cap of $294.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 0.21. The business has a fifty day moving average of $116.55 and a 200-day moving average of $113.23. The company has a quick ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates 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 in the previous year, the firm posted $2.22 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

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