Securian Asset Management Inc. Has $7.10 Million Position in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Securian Asset Management cut its Merck stake by 44.1% in the fourth quarter, leaving it with 67,491 shares valued at about $7.1 million.
• Other institutions were mixed on MRK, with several adding to positions while overall institutional ownership remained high at 76.07%.
• Analysts remain broadly constructive on Merck, with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $128.18, even as the stock trades around $111.26 and the company continues to face both strong earnings results and Gardasil litigation risk.

Securian Asset Management Inc. reduced its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 44.1% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 67,491 shares of the company's stock after selling 53,138 shares during the period. Securian Asset Management Inc.'s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $7,104,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. D.A. Davidson & CO. grew its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 4.4% during the 4th quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 576,959 shares of the company's stock worth $60,731,000 after acquiring an additional 24,576 shares during the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 48.9% during the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 97,818 shares of the company's stock worth $10,296,000 after acquiring an additional 32,114 shares during the last quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 12.7% during the 3rd quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 123,366 shares of the company's stock worth $10,364,000 after acquiring an additional 13,940 shares during the last quarter. NEOS Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 39.9% during the 3rd quarter. NEOS Investment Management LLC now owns 347,684 shares of the company's stock worth $29,181,000 after acquiring an additional 99,074 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Campbell Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $1,866,000. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have issued reports on MRK. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and set a $142.00 price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Monday, March 30th. Guggenheim raised their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $122.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, March 28th. Finally, Citigroup began coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $125.00 price target for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $128.18.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 0.1%

Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $111.26 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. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52-week low of $73.31 and a 52-week high of $125.14. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $117.07 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $108.31. The firm has a market cap of $274.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.34, a PEG ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 0.18.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($1.47) by $0.19. The firm had revenue of $16.29 billion during 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 company's revenue was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.22 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.16 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck published a landmark Science paper on a new large-scale biocatalytic synthesis method for its investigational oral PCSK9 inhibitor, enlicitide decanoate. The work supports manufacturing scalability for a potential future cardiovascular drug and underscores progress in Merck’s pipeline. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Merck also became the sole testing provider for Genetix Biotherapeutics’ FDA-approved gene therapies under a five-year agreement, strengthening its BioReliance services business and adding a recurring commercialization-related revenue stream. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary highlighted Merck as a well-prepared dividend stock despite its upcoming patent cliff, suggesting the market is still weighing long-term earnings durability rather than reacting to a single catalyst. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Merck is heading toward a July 27 trial over Gardasil safety claims after the vaccine reached an $8.9 billion sales peak. The litigation risk could weigh on sentiment around one of Merck’s key growth franchises, even though the company continues to defend the product’s safety record. Article Title

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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