Pictet Asset Management Holding SA Decreases Position in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Pictet Asset Management trimmed its Merck stake by 6.5%, selling 101,437 shares to hold 1,466,221 shares (≈0.06% of the company) valued at about $154.34 million; overall institutional ownership stands around 76.07%.
• Analysts remain broadly positive: the consensus rating is a "Moderate Buy" with an average price target of $128.47 and recent upgrades/target raises (e.g., Barclays $140 overweight, JPMorgan to $135).
• Merck beat quarterly estimates (EPS $2.04 vs. $2.01; revenue $16.4B) and set FY26 guidance of 5.00–5.15 EPS, even as insiders have sold 320,176 shares (~$38.3M) in the past 90 days.

Pictet Asset Management Holding SA trimmed its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 6.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,466,221 shares of the company's stock after selling 101,437 shares during the quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA owned approximately 0.06% of Merck & Co., Inc. worth $154,337,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. Atlas Legacy Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 17.8% during the 4th quarter. Atlas Legacy Advisors LLC now owns 4,234 shares of the company's stock worth $450,000 after purchasing an additional 639 shares in the last quarter. Supplemental Annuity Collective Trust of NJ increased its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 46.8% during the 4th quarter. Supplemental Annuity Collective Trust of NJ now owns 49,900 shares of the company's stock worth $5,252,000 after purchasing an additional 15,900 shares in the last quarter. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 10.4% during the 4th quarter. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC now owns 46,449 shares of the company's stock worth $4,889,000 after purchasing an additional 4,393 shares in the last quarter. Simon Quick Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 9.9% during the 4th quarter. Simon Quick Advisors LLC now owns 6,463 shares of the company's stock worth $680,000 after purchasing an additional 583 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Facet Wealth Inc. increased its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 12.4% during the 4th quarter. Facet Wealth Inc. now owns 6,708 shares of the company's stock worth $717,000 after purchasing an additional 742 shares in the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MRK has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Barclays initiated coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Friday, February 20th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $140.00 price objective for the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, March 28th. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday, December 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Finally, Citigroup raised their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, March 20th. One 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's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $128.47.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Regulatory and pipeline wins — U.S. antitrust waiting period expired for Merck’s Terns acquisition and the company reported proof‑of‑concept CADENCE data for Winrevair plus EU approval of ENFLONSIA for infant RSV prevention; these clear regulatory and clinical hurdles strengthen growth optionality. Merck Advances Terns Deal And Cardiovascular And RSV Growth Options
• Positive Sentiment: Addressable markets expanding — analysis points to steady growth in peripheral T‑cell lymphoma and highlights Keytruda among key drugs in that expanding landscape, supporting durable demand for Merck’s oncology franchise. Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma Market to Witness Significant Expansion
• Positive Sentiment: Earnings‑beat track record — several previews note Merck’s strong history of beating estimates and argue the company has the setup to surprise again, which could fuel upside if Q1 results beat. Will Merck (MRK) Beat Estimates Again in Its Next Earnings Report?
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst previews emphasize metrics beyond EPS — revenue mix, Keytruda unit trends, biosimilar offset guidance and Qlex launch uptake will be watched; these are informational and will shape near-term sentiment depending on the print. Exploring Analyst Estimates for Merck (MRK) Q1 Earnings, Beyond Revenue and EPS
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector M&A activity heating up — Organon’s sale to Sun Pharma highlights active deal flow in pharma; this is a broader market dynamic that can influence valuation multiples but is not specific to Merck’s near‑term fundamentals. Organon Agrees to Be Acquired by Sun Pharmaceutical
• Negative Sentiment: Near‑term earnings uncertainty — some previews show conservative/negative EPS scenarios for Q1 that could trigger downside if Merck misses on revenue or margin items; that uncertainty is likely contributing to the intraday pullback. Buy, Sell or Hold MRK Stock With Q1 Earnings Around the Corner?

Insider Activity

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 121,573 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction on Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.15, for a total value of $14,485,422.95. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 68,916 shares in the company, valued at $8,211,341.40. This trade represents a 63.82% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 37,685 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction on Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.92, for a total transaction of $4,556,870.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 160,174 shares in the company, valued at approximately $19,368,240.08. This trade represents a 19.05% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 320,176 shares of company stock valued at $38,281,735 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.17% of the company's stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 1.4%

Shares of NYSE MRK opened at $110.28 on Tuesday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1 year low of $73.31 and a 1 year high of $125.14. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $118.39 and its 200 day moving average price is $107.18. The firm has a market cap of $272.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 0.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 1.30 and a current ratio of 1.54.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.01 by $0.03. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 28.08% and a return on equity of 44.57%. The firm had revenue of $16.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.19 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.72 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc.'s revenue was up 5.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.000-5.150 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 4.89 earnings per share for the current year.

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.

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