Saturna Capital Corp Buys 16,425 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Saturna Capital Corp increased its Merck stake by 11.6% in the first quarter, buying 16,425 additional shares and bringing its total holding to 157,451 shares worth about $18.94 million.
• Merck shares were trading up 1.5% at $126.27, near the upper end of their 12-month range, while institutional investors still hold about 76.07% of the stock.
• The company’s latest earnings beat expectations on both EPS and revenue, and recent pipeline news around Keytruda and HIV treatments points to continued growth efforts, though investors remain focused on the drug’s long-term dependence.

Saturna Capital Corp raised its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 11.6% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 157,451 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 16,425 shares during the period. Saturna Capital Corp's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $18,940,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Kingdom Financial Group LLC. bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Abound Financial LLC bought a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Prosperity Bancshares Inc bought a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. High Note Wealth LLC increased its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 58.9% during 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. purchased a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Up 1.5%

Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $126.27 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02. Merck & Co., Inc. has a twelve month low of $76.66 and a twelve month high of $131.74. The firm has a market capitalization of $311.86 billion, a PE ratio of 35.57, a P/E/G ratio of 4.95 and a beta of 0.19. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $120.65 and its 200 day moving average price is $117.29.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results 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 return on equity of 27.55% and a net margin of 13.59%.The firm had revenue of $16.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.85 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.22 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. 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 2.74 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th were issued a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.'s payout ratio is 95.77%.

Key Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck and Gilead announced that Phase 3 data from the investigational once-weekly oral HIV regimen combining islatravir and lenacapavir will be presented at AIDS 2026, with the primary endpoint showing maintained viral suppression in adults who switched therapies. The update highlights progress in a potentially important HIV program and could support long-term growth expectations. Article: Investigational Once-Weekly Oral HIV Treatment Regimen of Islatravir and Lenacapavir Maintained Virological Suppression in Adults With HIV Who Switched Antiretroviral Therapy
• Positive Sentiment: Phanes Therapeutics expanded its clinical trial collaboration with Merck to evaluate spevatamig with KEYTRUDA and chemotherapy in first-line biliary tract cancer. More combination-trial activity around KEYTRUDA reinforces Merck’s oncology franchise and keeps the company involved in additional mid- to long-term growth opportunities. Article: Phanes Therapeutics Announces Expansion of Clinical Trial Collaboration and Supply Agreement with Merck to Evaluate Spevatamig in Combination with KEYTRUDA® (Pembrolizumab) and Chemotherapy for Treatment of Biliary Tract Cancer
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst-focused coverage repeated the view that Wall Street’s bullish average rating suggests Merck is worth considering, but the article also questioned how reliable consensus broker recommendations are as a signal. This is more of a sentiment check than a new fundamental catalyst. Article: Is It Worth Investing in Merck (MRK) Based on Wall Street's Bullish Views?
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent media commentary also noted that Merck had declined more than the broader market in the prior session and that one rating was lowered to Hold, but these items do not appear to reflect a major company-specific setback. Instead, they suggest some near-term caution after the recent move. Article: Merck (MRK) Declines More Than Market: Some Information for Investors
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage from Barron’s focused on what comes after Keytruda, underscoring investor concern about Merck’s long-term dependence on its flagship cancer drug and the need for a future standard-of-care franchise. That narrative can weigh on valuation if investors worry about the post-Keytruda pipeline. Article: What Comes After Merck's Keytruda? The Race for the Next Standard Cancer Treatment.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have weighed in on the company. Weiss Ratings lowered Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $135.00 to $142.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, April 13th. CICC Research initiated coverage on shares of 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. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price 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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