Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Stock Bought by Red Cedar Investment Management LLC

Key Points

• Red Cedar Investment Management increased its Merck stake by 33.2% in the third quarter, adding 6,959 shares to bring its holdings to 27,931 shares, valued at about $4.06 million.
• Analysts give Merck a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $155.74, though ratings range from strong buy to sell.
• Merck’s latest reported quarter beat expectations, with EPS of $2.49 versus $2.09 expected and revenue of $18.09 billion, up 4.7% year over year; insiders sold 102,014 shares over the past three months.

Red Cedar Investment Management LLC grew its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 33.2% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 27,931 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 6,959 shares during the period. Red Cedar Investment Management LLC's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $4,059,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Bullseye Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the second quarter worth about $27,000. Curry Webb Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the third quarter valued at about $29,000. Horizons Wealth Management acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the third quarter valued at about $30,000. Graney & King LLC increased its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 400.0% in the second quarter. Graney & King LLC now owns 250 shares of the company's stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Montgomery Financial Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the second quarter worth about $41,000. Institutional investors own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MRK has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Freedom Broker raised their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, November 2nd. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Barclays increased their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, October 26th. HSBC raised their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $172.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, September 10th. Finally, Zacks Research lowered shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research note on Monday, October 19th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $155.74.

Insider Transactions at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other news, EVP Richard Deluca sold 11,699 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $131.63, for a total transaction of $1,539,939.37. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 110,167 shares of the company's stock, valued at $14,501,282.21. This represents a 9.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.00, for a total value of $1,350,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 36,613 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,942,755. The trade was a 21.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 102,014 shares of company stock valued at $13,608,779 over the last three months. Company insiders own 0.17% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck reported positive Phase 2b results for efinopegdutide, an investigational weekly treatment for adults with MASH and stage F2 or F3 liver fibrosis. The findings add a potential new opportunity in liver disease, although the supplied report does not include detailed efficacy results. Article: Merck Announces Positive Results from Phase 2b Trial of Efinopegdutide
• Positive Sentiment: Merck has started the Phase 3 ENHANCE-3 trial of OHTUVAYRE for COPD maintenance treatment. Separately, the FDA granted priority review to sacituzumab tirumotecan for endometrial cancer, advancing two potential growth drivers. Article: Merck Starts ENHANCE 3 COPD Trial As Cancer Drug Review Nears
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck’s collaboration with Tempus AI is expected to contribute to a five-year partnership value of roughly $192.5 million, providing a data and AI-related research tie-up; the article does not detail the financial impact to Merck. Article: The AI Debt Bill Is Coming Due, But Biotech Has Revenue to Show for the Boom
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts describe Merck’s 2027 growth outlook as challenging, citing generic competition, weaker vaccine performance and slowing growth for Keytruda. These pressures could weigh on near-term results, despite the company’s expanding pipeline. Article: MRK's 2027 Outlook Challenging, Long-Term Prospects Promising

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of NYSE MRK opened at $148.49 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $366.34 billion, a PE ratio of 153.08, a PEG ratio of 6.83 and a beta of 0.13. The company has a current ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1-year low of $85.80 and a 1-year high of $156.92. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $146.39 and a 200 day moving average price of $127.82.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 29th. The company reported $2.49 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.09 by $0.40. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 16.56% and a net margin of 3.64%. The firm had revenue of $18.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $17.33 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.58 EPS. The company's revenue was up 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.84 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Profile

Merck & Co, Inc is a global pharmaceutical company that develops and markets prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies and animal-health products. The company's research and commercial activities span areas including oncology, infectious diseases, vaccines, cardiovascular disease and immunology. Its products include the cancer medicine Keytruda and the Gardasil vaccine.

Founded in the United States in 1891, Merck & Co became an independent company in 1917. It is headquartered in Rahway, New Jersey, and operates internationally.

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