Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Stock Holdings Boosted by Procyon Advisors LLC

Key Points

• Procyon Advisors LLC increased its Merck stake by 33.4% in the first quarter, adding 11,324 shares to bring its total to 45,207 shares worth about $5.44 million.
• Merck posted a stronger-than-expected quarterly update, with EPS of -$1.28 beating estimates and revenue of $16.29 billion topping forecasts; the company also reaffirmed FY 2026 EPS guidance of $5.04 to $5.16.
• Analyst sentiment remains generally positive, with multiple firms raising price targets and the stock carrying a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $132.72.

Procyon Advisors LLC boosted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 33.4% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 45,207 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 11,324 shares during the quarter. Procyon Advisors LLC's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $5,438,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. D.A. Davidson & CO. grew its stake 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 worth $60,731,000 after purchasing an additional 24,576 shares in the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 48.9% during 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. lifted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 12.7% in the third quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 123,366 shares of the company's stock worth $10,364,000 after purchasing an additional 13,940 shares during the period. Campbell Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the third quarter worth about $1,866,000. Finally, Norris Perne & French LLP MI lifted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 12.8% in the fourth quarter. Norris Perne & French LLP MI now owns 252,162 shares of the company's stock worth $26,543,000 after purchasing an additional 28,635 shares during the period. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

Shares of MRK opened at $123.72 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.30 and a quick ratio of 1.06. The firm's 50 day moving average is $118.83 and its 200-day moving average is $116.36. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12-month low of $76.66 and a 12-month high of $130.29. The stock has a market capitalization of $305.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.85, a P/E/G ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.19.

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

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th were given a dividend of $0.85 per share. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio is 95.77%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have commented on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $142.00 price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and issued a $120.00 price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. Finally, Scotiabank raised their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $136.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a "sector outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $132.72.

More Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: The FDA approved KEYTRUDA and KEYTRUDA QLEX, each combined with Padcev, for use before and after surgery in adults with muscle-invasive bladder cancer. This expands Merck’s flagship oncology franchise and could add to future revenue. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains constructive, with Morgan Stanley slightly raising its price target and RBC Capital reiterating a Buy rating. That suggests Wall Street still sees upside despite the stock’s recent run. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Merck continues to attract investor attention thanks to strong year-to-date performance, a solid dividend yield, and a long record of dividend growth, which may support demand for the shares. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent coverage also notes Merck is one of the more widely watched healthcare names on Zacks, but these mentions do not appear to add any new fundamental catalyst on their own. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the upbeat news flow, the shares also face ongoing valuation and post-KEYTRUDA exclusivity concerns, which may limit upside if investors focus on Merck’s long-term patent risk. Article Title

Merck & Co., Inc. Company 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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