Osprey Private Wealth LLC Raises Stock Position in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Osprey Private Wealth LLC boosted its Merck stake by 92.1% in the fourth quarter, ending with 29,240 shares valued at about $3.08 million.
• Other large institutional investors also increased their Merck holdings, and institutions now own 76.07% of the company’s stock, signaling continued broad investor interest.
• Analysts remain generally constructive on Merck, with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $128.18; the stock last traded at $111.26.

Osprey Private Wealth LLC grew its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 92.1% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 29,240 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 14,015 shares during the period. Osprey Private Wealth LLC's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $3,078,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in MRK. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 254,322,763 shares of the company's stock worth $26,770,014,000 after buying an additional 2,185,853 shares during the period. DLD Asset Management LP increased its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 30.1% during the 3rd quarter. DLD Asset Management LP now owns 47,500,000 shares of the company's stock worth $3,986,675,000 after buying an additional 11,000,000 shares during the period. Legal & General Group Plc increased its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 5.9% during the 3rd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 20,659,157 shares of the company's stock worth $1,733,923,000 after buying an additional 1,156,112 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. increased its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 16.6% during the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 19,844,936 shares of the company's stock worth $1,665,585,000 after buying an additional 2,821,766 shares during the period. Finally, Ameriprise Financial Inc. increased its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 20.7% during the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 15,933,909 shares of the company's stock worth $1,336,877,000 after buying an additional 2,735,459 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on MRK shares. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, March 28th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Friday, May 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Citigroup started coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Wednesday. They set a "neutral" rating and a $125.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $116.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $128.18.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of MRK stock opened at $111.26 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $274.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.34, a P/E/G ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 0.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.30 and a quick ratio of 1.30. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1-year low of $73.31 and a 1-year high of $125.14. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $117.07 and a two-hundred day moving average of $108.31.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($1.47) by $0.19. The company 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 firm's revenue for the quarter was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.22 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.16 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, CMO Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.41, for a total transaction of $1,184,100.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief marketing officer directly owned 70,615 shares of the company's stock, valued at $8,361,522.15. This trade represents a 12.40% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 121,573 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.15, for a total transaction of $14,485,422.95. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 68,916 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $8,211,341.40. This represents a 63.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.17% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Merck & Co., Inc.

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

About Merck & Co., Inc.

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MRK? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.