NewEdge Wealth LLC Has $9.33 Million Stock Position in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• NewEdge Wealth LLC increased its Merck stake by 37.8% in the fourth quarter, ending with 88,597 shares valued at about $9.33 million.
• Merck’s latest quarterly results beat expectations, with EPS of -$1.28 versus the estimated -$1.47 and revenue of $16.29 billion, topping consensus. The company also reaffirmed FY 2026 guidance of $5.04 to $5.16 per share.
• Recent headlines around Merck are mixed: positive developments include progress on its oral PCSK9 inhibitor pipeline and a new testing-services deal, while a pending Gardasil trial could create legal and sentiment risk.

NewEdge Wealth LLC raised its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 37.8% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 88,597 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 24,306 shares during the period. NewEdge Wealth LLC's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $9,326,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. DLD Asset Management LP lifted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 30.1% in the third quarter. DLD Asset Management LP now owns 47,500,000 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,986,675,000 after buying an additional 11,000,000 shares during the period. Jennison Associates LLC acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter valued at $585,192,000. Invesco Ltd. lifted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 16.6% in the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 19,844,936 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,665,585,000 after buying an additional 2,821,766 shares during the period. Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 20.7% in the third quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 15,933,909 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,336,877,000 after buying an additional 2,735,459 shares during the period. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 254,322,763 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,770,014,000 after buying an additional 2,185,853 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of MRK stock opened at $111.26 on Monday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52-week low of $73.31 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 company has a 50-day simple moving average of $117.07 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $108.31. The company has a market capitalization of $274.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.34, a PEG ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 0.18.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($1.47) by $0.19. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 13.59% and a return on equity of 27.55%. The business had revenue of $16.29 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.85 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.22 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.16 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck published a landmark Science paper on a new large-scale biocatalytic synthesis method for its investigational oral PCSK9 inhibitor, enlicitide decanoate. The work supports manufacturing scalability for a potential future cardiovascular drug and underscores progress in Merck’s pipeline. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Merck also became the sole testing provider for Genetix Biotherapeutics’ FDA-approved gene therapies under a five-year agreement, strengthening its BioReliance services business and adding a recurring commercialization-related revenue stream. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary highlighted Merck as a well-prepared dividend stock despite its upcoming patent cliff, suggesting the market is still weighing long-term earnings durability rather than reacting to a single catalyst. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Merck is heading toward a July 27 trial over Gardasil safety claims after the vaccine reached an $8.9 billion sales peak. The litigation risk could weigh on sentiment around one of Merck’s key growth franchises, even though the company continues to defend the product’s safety record. Article Title

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MRK has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $142.00 target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Monday, March 30th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, April 13th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, March 28th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald upped their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $116.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $128.18.

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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