Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio Has $125.54 Million Stock Position in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio trimmed its Merck stake by 1.3% in the first quarter, but still held 1,043,669 shares worth about $125.5 million at quarter-end.
• Merck reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of -$1.28 versus estimates of -$1.47 and revenue of $16.29 billion, up 4.9% year over year. The company also reaffirmed its FY 2026 EPS guidance range of 5.04 to 5.16.
• Analysts remain broadly constructive on MRK, with a Moderate Buy consensus and an average price target of $133.94. Recent calls included upgraded targets from Guggenheim and Bank of America, while Morgan Stanley kept an equal-weight view.

Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio lowered its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 1.3% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,043,669 shares of the company's stock after selling 14,067 shares during the period. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $125,543,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in MRK. Kingdom Financial Group LLC. acquired a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Abound Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Prosperity Bancshares Inc acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. High Note Wealth LLC raised its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 58.9% in the 4th quarter. High Note Wealth LLC now owns 294 shares of the company's stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 109 shares during the period. Finally, IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of MRK opened at $130.57 on Friday. The company's 50-day moving average is $121.27 and its 200-day moving average is $117.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.30 and a quick ratio of 1.06. The firm has a market capitalization of $322.49 billion, a PE ratio of 36.78, a PEG ratio of 5.08 and a beta of 0.19. Merck & Co., Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $76.66 and a fifty-two week high of $131.74.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.22 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc.'s 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. Equities analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.74 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th were given a dividend of $0.85 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 95.77%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently commented on MRK shares. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $112.00 to $113.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. CICC Research began coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $138.00 price objective on the stock. Wall Street Zen cut Merck & Co., Inc. from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday. Guggenheim raised their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Finally, Bank of America lifted their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $133.94.

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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