Symmetry Partners LLC Increases Stock Holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Symmetry Partners increased its Merck stake by 276.4% in Q4, buying 9,406 shares to hold 12,809 shares valued at $1.348 million per its recent 13F filing.
• Merck beat Q4 estimates (EPS $2.04 vs. $2.01) and set FY2026 guidance of $5.00–$5.15 EPS; the stock carries a market cap of $293.9B, a PE of 16.35 and a ~2.9% yield.
• Near‑term catalysts and analyst momentum include EU approval of ENFLONSIA, an FDA Priority Review for ifinatamab deruxtecan and price‑target upgrades (UBS to $145, Deutsche Bank to $150), though insiders sold about $38.3M of stock last quarter.

Symmetry Partners LLC boosted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 276.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 12,809 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 9,406 shares during the period. Symmetry Partners LLC's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $1,348,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of MRK. Wealth Enhancement Trust Services Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter valued at about $3,663,000. Hobart Private Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter valued at about $203,000. MASTERINVEST Kapitalanlage GmbH lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 25.1% during the 4th quarter. MASTERINVEST Kapitalanlage GmbH now owns 49,472 shares of the company's stock valued at $5,247,000 after buying an additional 9,914 shares in the last quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. now owns 1,349,973 shares of the company's stock valued at $143,911,000 after buying an additional 9,397 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Jackson Grant Investment Advisers Inc. lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 6.3% during the 4th quarter. Jackson Grant Investment Advisers Inc. now owns 13,456 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,416,000 after buying an additional 798 shares in the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Up 3.1%

NYSE MRK opened at $118.99 on Friday. The stock's 50 day moving average is $119.12 and its 200 day moving average is $106.01. The company has a current ratio of 1.54, a quick ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12 month low of $73.31 and a 12 month high of $125.14. The stock has a market cap of $293.90 billion, a PE ratio of 16.35, a P/E/G ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 0.26.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.04 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.01 by $0.03. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 44.57% and a net margin of 28.08%.The company had revenue of $16.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $16.19 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.72 EPS. The firm'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. Research analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 7th. Investors of record on Monday, March 16th were issued a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 16th. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.9%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s payout ratio is currently 46.70%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, 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 value of $5,023,261.17. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 90,192 shares of the company's stock, valued at $10,787,865.12. The trade was a 31.77% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CMO Chirfi Guindo sold 20,000 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.88, for a total value of $2,437,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief marketing officer directly owned 80,615 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,825,356.20. The trade was a 19.88% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 320,176 shares of company stock worth $38,281,735 in the last quarter. 0.13% of the stock is owned by insiders.

More Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: European Commission approves Merck’s ENFLONSIA (clesrovimab) for prevention of RSV lower respiratory tract disease in infants, giving Merck a new EU commercial opportunity in a pediatric respiratory market. European Commission Approves Merck’s ENFLONSIA
• Positive Sentiment: U.S. FDA grants Priority Review for ifinatamab deruxtecan (co-developed with Daiichi Sankyo) for extensive-stage small cell lung cancer — a potential first-in-class B7-H3 therapy that could materially expand Merck’s oncology franchise if approved. Merck’s Priority Review Cancer Drug Adds To Undervalued Growth Story
• Positive Sentiment: UBS raises its price target on MRK to $145 (from $130) and reiterates a Buy rating, signaling stronger analyst confidence that supports near-term upside and investor sentiment. UBS Raises Merck (MRK) Price Forecast as Part of Sector Preview
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader healthcare sector strength is lifting MRK along with peers today, as the NYSE Health Care Index trades higher — a tailwind but not company-specific. Sector Update: Health Care Stocks Higher Friday Afternoon
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry write-ups and trade ideas (comparisons to Novartis, bullish options strategies) are increasing attention on MRK; these pieces can drive retail interest but are less likely to change fundamentals immediately. Better Pharma Dividend Stock: Novartis vs. Merck

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on MRK shares. Wolfe Research raised Merck & Co., Inc. from a "peer perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $135.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, March 20th. Wall Street Zen raised Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, March 28th. Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their price objective 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. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $150.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $128.47.

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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