TIAA Trust National Association Has $29.33 Million Holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• TIAA Trust National Association increased its Merck stake by 88.3% in the fourth quarter, adding 130,701 shares to reach 278,658 shares worth about $29.33 million.
• Merck reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of -$1.28 versus the -$1.47 consensus and revenue of $16.29 billion, topping estimates. The company also raised FY 2026 guidance to $5.04–$5.16 EPS.
• Analysts remain generally constructive on MRK, with an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $128.18. Recent news was mixed for the pipeline, including positive Phase 3 HIV data for Merck and Gilead, alongside a discontinued lung cancer study after it missed its endpoint.

TIAA Trust National Association boosted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 88.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 278,658 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 130,701 shares during the quarter. TIAA Trust National Association's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $29,332,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of MRK. Kingdom Financial Group LLC. acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. High Note Wealth LLC grew its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 58.9% in the fourth 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 last quarter. Tucker Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Finally, United Financial Planning Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the third quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Up 0.0%

Shares of MRK stock opened at $119.54 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. The stock has a market cap of $295.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.69 and a beta of 0.21. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $116.56 and a 200 day simple moving average of $112.85. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1 year low of $76.66 and a 1 year high of $125.14.

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, beating the consensus estimate of ($1.47) by $0.19. The business had revenue of $16.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $15.85 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 27.55% and a net margin of 13.59%.The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.22 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th will be paid a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.'s payout ratio is 95.77%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently commented on MRK. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $150.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased 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, May 1st. Zacks Research raised Merck & Co., Inc. from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, April 6th. 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 research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $128.18.

More Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck and Gilead reported positive Phase 3 results for their once-weekly HIV regimen islatravir/lenacapavir, meeting the primary efficacy endpoint in both studies and moving the program closer to regulatory filings. Article: Gilead and Merck Announce Positive Topline Results From Two Phase 3 Studies Evaluating Islatravir/Lenacapavir, an Oral Once-Weekly HIV Treatment
• Positive Sentiment: The HIV data could strengthen Merck’s long-term pipeline and add a potential new growth driver if the once-weekly treatment wins approval and commercialization proceeds as expected. Article: Gilead, Merck Report Positive Phase III HIV Study Data, End NSCLC Study
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck also presented at the Goldman Sachs 47th Annual Global Healthcare Conference, which typically reinforces management’s strategy and pipeline commentary but does not by itself change fundamentals. Article: Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) Presents at Goldman Sachs 47th Annual Global Healthcare Conference 2026 Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck’s collaboration with The Hashgraph Group on an EU digital product passport for regulated supply chains is strategically interesting, but it is unlikely to have a near-term material impact on earnings. Article: The Hashgraph Group and Merck Introduce EU Digital Product Passport on Hedera for Regulated Supply Chains
• Negative Sentiment: Merck and Gilead discontinued a Phase 3 non-small cell lung cancer study after it failed to show a statistically significant benefit, which removes one potential oncology catalyst and highlights clinical risk in the pipeline. Article: Merck and Gilead Provide Update on Phase 3 KEYNOTE-D46/EVOKE-03 Study
• Negative Sentiment: Reuters also reported Merck is exploring treatment options for a rare Ebola strain, which may reflect additional research effort but could carry uncertainty around development timing and commercial value. Article: Merck (MRK) Explores Treatment Options for Rare Ebola Strain, Reuters Reports

About Merck & Co., Inc.

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MRK? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.