True North Advisors LLC Lowers Stock Position in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• True North Advisors LLC cut its Merck stake by 65.3% in the first quarter, selling 8,629 shares and ending with 4,585 shares valued at about $552,000.
• Merck reported better-than-expected quarterly results, posting EPS of -$1.28 versus the -$1.47 estimate and revenue of $16.29 billion, up 4.9% year over year.
• Investor attention remains on Merck’s pipeline and growth prospects, especially the FDA approval of its oral PCSK9 inhibitor LIPFENDRA and continued oncology developments as the company looks beyond the eventual Keytruda patent cliff.

True North Advisors LLC lessened its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 65.3% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 4,585 shares of the company's stock after selling 8,629 shares during the quarter. True North Advisors LLC's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $552,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MRK. Kingdom Financial Group LLC. purchased a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Prosperity Bancshares Inc purchased a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Abound Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. acquired a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, High Note Wealth LLC increased 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 buying an additional 109 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 0.0%

NYSE MRK opened at $127.47 on Monday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $120.11 and a 200 day moving average price of $117.01. Merck & Co., Inc. has a one year low of $76.66 and a one year high of $131.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a current ratio of 1.30. The company has a market cap of $314.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.91, a P/E/G ratio of 5.04 and a beta of 0.19.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last announced its 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. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 13.59% and a return on equity of 27.55%. The company had revenue of $16.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $15.85 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.22 EPS. The firm's quarterly 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. Research analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.76 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

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

Key Headlines Impacting Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: The FDA approval of LIPFENDRA gives Merck its first oral PCSK9 inhibitor, opening a new revenue stream in cardiovascular care and strengthening its non-oncology portfolio. Reuters article on FDA approval
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts highlighted continued oncology pipeline progress, including FDA acceptance of multiple regulatory filings and Merck’s broader effort to offset the eventual 2028 Keytruda patent cliff. Seeking Alpha article on pipeline expansion
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage also noted that Lipfendra’s launch is expected soon and that the drug could become a major product over time, though sales will depend on uptake, pricing, and competition from existing cholesterol therapies. Zacks article on Lipfendra launch
• Neutral Sentiment: There was also a rumor that Merck may be in a takeover battle for genomics company Personalis, but this appears speculative and is not confirmed. Yahoo Finance article on Personalis rumor

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MRK has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated a "neutral" rating and set a $120.00 target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of 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 initiated coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $138.00 price objective for the company. Bank of America increased their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $141.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $135.00 to $142.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. One 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 stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $133.94.

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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