Principal Financial Group Inc. Has $535.01 Million Holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Principal Financial Group trimmed its stake in Merck by 2.4% in Q4, selling 126,642 shares and now holding 5,082,718 shares valued at $535.01 million, or roughly 0.20% of the company.
• Merck beat Q1 expectations (revenue $16.29B, EPS ahead of consensus), maintained/raised FY‑2026 guidance, and shows upside from its pipeline and recent M&A (IDVYNSO approval, Terns acquisition, Keytruda reviews), with analysts averaging a $128.18 price target.
• Insider activity has been heavy selling recently—CEO and CFO disposed of sizable stakes in February and insiders sold 320,176 shares (~$38.3M) over the last 90 days—while institutional ownership remains high at 76.07%.

Principal Financial Group Inc. lessened its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 2.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 5,082,718 shares of the company's stock after selling 126,642 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned 0.20% of Merck & Co., Inc. worth $535,007,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 302.3% during the 3rd quarter. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 354 shares of the company's stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 266 shares in the last quarter. United Financial Planning Group LLC bought a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 3rd quarter worth about $31,000. Wealth Watch Advisors INC bought a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 3rd quarter worth about $34,000. Dunhill Financial LLC increased its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 83.0% during the 3rd quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 419 shares of the company's stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 190 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Silicon Valley Capital Partners increased its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 160.5% during the 3rd quarter. Silicon Valley Capital Partners now owns 422 shares of the company's stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 260 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat expectations — revenue of $16.29B, EPS ahead of consensus, and management maintained/raised FY‑2026 guidance and reiterated growth drivers from oncology and new launches. MRK Q1 Deep Dive
• Positive Sentiment: Pipeline and M&A boost long‑term thesis — recent FDA approval of the HIV regimen IDVYNSO, KEYTRUDA priority reviews and the Terns acquisition (adds TERN‑701) support upside beyond Keytruda. Analysts and bulls point to these as offsetting Patent risks. Pipeline & Terns Acquisition
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst and media support — major firms (Wells Fargo, BMO) reaffirm buy ratings and commentators such as Jim Cramer highlighted the quarter as a turning point, which helps sentiment. Wells Fargo Buy Rating BMO Buy Rating Jim Cramer on MRK
• Neutral Sentiment: Institutional commentary — Baron Capital highlighted MRK in its Q1 letter as an investment case, reflecting continued institutional interest but not immediate catalyst. Baron Capital Letter
• Negative Sentiment: Technical/price risk — chart analysts flag a confirmed double‑top breakdown and moving‑average resistance that could open a deeper correction, increasing short‑term downside risk despite fundamentals. Double Top Technical Risk
• Negative Sentiment: Sector rotation and shorter‑term profit‑taking — some sell pressure in pharma after strong earnings days for the sector has weighed on MRK intermittently, tempering the rally. Sector Sentiment Note

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on MRK shares. Wolfe Research upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a "peer perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $135.00 target price for the company in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Barclays initiated coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Friday, February 20th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $140.00 target price on the stock. Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $116.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $145.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $142.00 target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday, March 30th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $128.18.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Up 0.8%

Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $113.05 on Tuesday. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $117.69 and its 200-day moving average price is $107.70. The company has a quick ratio of 1.30, a current ratio of 1.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52-week low of $73.31 and a 52-week high of $125.14. The company has a market cap of $279.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.84, a PEG ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 0.19.

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 26.84%. The firm had revenue of $16.29 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.85 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.22 EPS. The company'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. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 4.9 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other news, CEO Robert M. Davis sold 47,434 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.04, for a total value of $5,599,109.36. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 443,602 shares of the company's stock, valued at $52,362,780.08. The trade was a 9.66% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CFO Caroline Litchfield sold 41,997 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.61, for a total transaction of $5,023,261.17. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 90,192 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,787,865.12. The trade was a 31.77% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 320,176 shares of company stock worth $38,281,735. 0.17% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Merck & Co., Inc. 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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