Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Stock: Cliftonlarsonallen Wealth Advisors LLC Cuts Holdings

Key Points

• Cliftonlarsonallen Wealth Advisors reduced its Merck stake by 26.5% in the third quarter, selling 11,606 shares and retaining 32,222 shares valued at approximately $4.68 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 76.07% of MRK.
• Analyst sentiment remains favorable: Merck has a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating from 27 analysts, with 17 Buys and 10 Holds, and an average price target of $151.92.
• Merck reported quarterly revenue of $16.61 billion, up 5.1% year over year, and recently paid a quarterly dividend of $0.85 per share, equivalent to a $3.40 annualized payout and a 2.3% yield.

Cliftonlarsonallen Wealth Advisors LLC cut its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 26.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 32,222 shares of the company's stock after selling 11,606 shares during the quarter. Cliftonlarsonallen Wealth Advisors LLC's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $4,682,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. Abound Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Bullseye Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 2nd quarter valued at $27,000. Horizons Wealth Management acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. Graney & King LLC boosted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 400.0% in the 2nd quarter. Graney & King LLC now owns 250 shares of the company's stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the period. Finally, Montgomery Financial Services LLC purchased a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 2nd quarter worth about $41,000. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have issued reports on the company. Leerink Partners boosted their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $127.00 to $161.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, September 9th. TD Cowen upped their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $137.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 23rd. BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $142.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, August 20th. UBS Group upped their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $175.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 20th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald increased their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $120.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 8th. Seventeen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Merck & Co., Inc. currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $151.92.

Key Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Keytruda and pipeline catalysts support Q3 optimism. Continued Keytruda sales growth, expanded indications and newer launches could help Merck exceed third-quarter expectations. Will Keytruda Continue to Aid Merck's Top Line in Q3 Earnings?
• Positive Sentiment: Oncology pipeline data is an important longer-term catalyst. Merck plans to present first-time pivotal Phase 3 results from three studies and more than 90 additional abstracts at ESMO 2026, potentially providing evidence of growth opportunities as Keytruda eventually faces biosimilar pressure. Merck ESMO 2026 Oncology Pipeline Announcement
• Positive Sentiment: Management sounded constructive on the Moderna cancer vaccine partnership. CEO Rob Davis said manufacturing of the personalized cancer vaccine should become faster and more efficient as Merck and Moderna refine the complex production process. Merck CEO Discusses Cancer Vaccine Manufacturing
• Positive Sentiment: Leerink Partners initiated or reiterated a Buy rating on Merck, adding favorable analyst sentiment. Merck Gets a Buy Rating from Leerink Partners

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE MRK opened at $147.47 on Thursday. The business's 50-day moving average price is $144.91 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $128.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.32 and a quick ratio of 1.10. Merck & Co., Inc. has a one year low of $82.01 and a one year high of $156.92. The company has a market capitalization of $363.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 117.97, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.56 and a beta of 0.21.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.26) by $0.13. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 16.73% and a net margin of 4.77%. The company had revenue of $16.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.37 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.13 EPS. The business's revenue was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.66 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th were paid a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s payout ratio is presently 272.00%.

Insider Transactions at Merck & Co., Inc.

In related news, EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 20,784 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $130.43, for a total transaction of $2,710,857.12. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 134,703 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $17,569,312.29. This trade represents a 13.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Chirfi Guindo sold 15,000 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $131.00, for a total transaction of $1,965,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 46,613 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,106,303. This trade represents a 24.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 228,238 shares of company stock valued at $29,977,783 in the last ninety days. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Merck & Co., Inc. Company Profile

Merck & Co, Inc is a global healthcare company that develops and markets prescription medicines, vaccines, and animal-health products. The company serves patients, healthcare providers, and customers in markets around the world, with research and commercial operations spanning multiple geographic regions.

Its pharmaceutical portfolio includes oncology, infectious-disease, cardiovascular, immunology, and other therapeutic areas. Key products include Keytruda, an oncology treatment; Gardasil, a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine; Januvia and Janumet for type 2 diabetes; Bridion for anesthesia-related use; and Winrevair for pulmonary arterial hypertension.

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