Park National Corp OH Has $15.52 Million Stock Holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Park National Corp OH increased its Merck stake by 15.9% in the first quarter, adding 17,678 shares to reach 129,003 shares valued at about $15.52 million.
• Institutional ownership remains heavy, with hedge funds and other institutional investors owning about 76.07% of Merck’s stock after several firms adjusted positions.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed but constructive: Merck has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” with an average price target of $128.18, while recent earnings beat estimates and the company reaffirmed its FY2026 EPS guidance range.

Park National Corp OH boosted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 15.9% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 129,003 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 17,678 shares during the period. Park National Corp OH's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $15,518,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MRK. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position 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 valued at $26,770,014,000 after purchasing an additional 2,185,853 shares during the period. State Street Corp grew its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 1.6% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 120,040,168 shares of the company's stock worth $12,737,504,000 after buying an additional 1,859,990 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 14.8% during the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 86,435,458 shares of the company's stock worth $9,098,196,000 after buying an additional 11,156,354 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.4% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 60,047,984 shares of the company's stock worth $6,307,572,000 after buying an additional 249,110 shares during the last quarter. Finally, DLD Asset Management LP boosted its stake 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 acquiring an additional 11,000,000 shares during the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have commented on MRK shares. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $145.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Wall Street Zen raised Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, June 6th. Citigroup started coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $125.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $142.00 target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Monday, March 30th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Merck & Co., Inc. currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $128.18.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

NYSE MRK opened at $114.04 on Monday. 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 stock has a market cap of $281.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.12, a PEG ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 0.21. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $115.94 and a 200 day simple moving average of $113.68. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52-week low of $76.66 and a 52-week high of $125.14.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of ($1.47) by $0.19. The firm had revenue of $16.29 billion for 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 revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.22 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th will be given a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.'s payout ratio is currently 95.77%.

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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