Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Stake Reduced by ANTIPODES PARTNERS Ltd

Key Points

• ANTIPODES PARTNERS Ltd trimmed its Merck stake by 5.7% in the fourth quarter, selling 95,741 shares and leaving it with 1,575,811 shares worth about $165.9 million.
• Merck's latest quarterly results beat expectations, with EPS of -$1.28 versus the expected -$1.47 and revenue of $16.29 billion versus $15.85 billion forecast.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive overall: Merck has a Moderate Buy consensus rating and an average price target of $128.18, though Citigroup recently assigned a neutral rating and Wells Fargo slightly lowered its target.

ANTIPODES PARTNERS Ltd reduced its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 5.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,575,811 shares of the company's stock after selling 95,741 shares during the period. Merck & Co., Inc. comprises 3.5% of ANTIPODES PARTNERS Ltd's investment portfolio, making the stock its 6th largest position. ANTIPODES PARTNERS Ltd owned 0.06% of Merck & Co., Inc. worth $165,882,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in MRK. United Financial Planning Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Wealth Watch Advisors INC bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the third quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Dunhill Financial LLC boosted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 83.0% during the third quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 419 shares of the company's stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 190 shares in the last quarter. Silicon Valley Capital Partners boosted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 160.5% during the third quarter. Silicon Valley Capital Partners now owns 422 shares of the company's stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 260 shares in the last quarter. Finally, J.Safra Asset Management Corp boosted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 53.6% during the third quarter. J.Safra Asset Management Corp now owns 450 shares of the company's stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 157 shares in the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

NYSE:MRK opened at $111.36 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $116.00 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $109.21. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52-week low of $74.37 and a 52-week high of $125.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a current ratio of 1.30. The firm has a market capitalization of $275.03 billion, a PE ratio of 31.37, a P/E/G ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 0.18.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data 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. The firm had revenue of $16.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.85 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 27.55% and a net margin of 13.59%.The business's quarterly revenue was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.22 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. Analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.16 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the company. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $145.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded 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. 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 for the company. Finally, Citigroup began coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $125.00 price objective for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $128.18.

Merck & Co., Inc. 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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