Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Stock Position Increased by Brookstone Capital Management

Key Points

• Brookstone Capital Management increased its Merck stake by 15.2% in the third quarter, bringing its holdings to 150,102 shares valued at approximately $21.8 million. Institutional investors collectively own 76.07% of MRK.
• Analyst sentiment remains generally positive, with 17 Buy ratings, nine Holds and one Sell; the consensus rating is Moderate Buy with a $151.92 price target. However, insiders sold 228,238 shares worth nearly $30 million over the past 90 days.
• Merck reported quarterly revenue of $16.61 billion, up 5.1% year over year and above expectations, while its $0.85 quarterly dividend provides a 2.3% annualized yield. The company’s oncology pipeline received support from positive melanoma-vaccine data and expanded European approval for KEYTRUDA plus Padcev.

Brookstone Capital Management boosted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 15.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 150,102 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 19,812 shares during the quarter. Brookstone Capital Management's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $21,811,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Horizons Wealth Management bought a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the third quarter worth $30,000. Bullseye Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the second quarter worth about $27,000. Graney & King LLC lifted its holdings in 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 purchasing an additional 200 shares during the period. Montgomery Financial Services LLC acquired a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the second quarter worth about $41,000. Finally, Evergreen Advisors LLC bought a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 1st quarter valued at about $43,000. Institutional investors own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, EVP David Williams sold 52,847 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $128.77, for a total value of $6,805,108.19. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 31,716 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,084,069.32. This represents a 62.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Chirfi Guindo sold 15,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $131.00, for a total value of $1,965,000.00. Following 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 position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 228,238 shares of company stock valued at $29,977,783 in the last 90 days. 0.17% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have commented on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, September 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, October 5th. Rothschild & Co Redburn increased their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, July 6th. Zacks Research cut shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a report on Monday. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $143.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. Seventeen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $151.92.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

NYSE:MRK opened at $147.40 on Friday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a twelve month low of $82.01 and a twelve month high of $156.92. The company has a current ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. The company has a 50-day moving average of $146.79 and a 200-day moving average of $130.07. The firm has a market cap of $363.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 117.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.92 and a beta of 0.21.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.26) by $0.13. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 4.77% and a return on equity of 16.73%. The company had revenue of $16.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $16.37 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company 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 forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.66 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th were issued a dividend of $0.85 per share. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, September 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 272.00%.

Key Stories Impacting Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck and Moderna reported Phase 3 INTerpath-001 results showing that intismeran autogene combined with KEYTRUDA reduced the risk of melanoma recurrence or death by 42%, while also improving distant metastasis-free survival. The data met market expectations and could support a future expansion of Merck’s oncology pipeline beyond KEYTRUDA. Moderna, Merck shares fall on eagerly anticipated cancer vaccine results
• Positive Sentiment: The European Commission approved KEYTRUDA plus Padcev as perioperative treatment for adults with resectable muscle-invasive bladder cancer. The wider label expands the addressable market for Merck’s leading oncology franchise and may help offset future pressure from slowing KEYTRUDA growth. European Commission approves KEYTRUDA plus Padcev
• Neutral Sentiment: Trading activity included approximately 37,444 MRK call options, about 40% above average daily volume, indicating increased speculative interest but not establishing a clear direction for the shares.
• Negative Sentiment: An apparent early leak of the melanoma-vaccine data caused volatility and appears to have prompted profit-taking. Investors may have expected a larger-than-reported benefit despite the statistically and clinically positive results, creating a sell-the-news response ahead of the formal ESMO presentation. Moderna, Merck shares fall after possible melanoma data leak
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts expect Merck’s upcoming third-quarter earnings to decline, limiting near-term enthusiasm and reinforcing concerns about moderating KEYTRUDA growth. Zacks also reportedly downgraded MRK from “hold” to “strong sell,” adding pressure to sentiment.

Merck & Co., Inc. Company Profile

Merck & Co, Inc is a global healthcare company that develops, manufactures and markets prescription medicines, vaccines and animal-health products. Its pharmaceutical business focuses on oncology, infectious diseases, cardiology, immunology and other areas of significant medical need. The company serves patients, healthcare providers and institutions in markets worldwide.

Merck's principal products include Keytruda, an immunotherapy used to treat a range of cancers; Gardasil and Gardasil 9, vaccines that help protect against human papillomavirus; and Januvia and Janumet, medicines used to manage type 2 diabetes.

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