Vestcor Inc Sells 22,707 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Vestcor Inc reduced its Merck stake by 8.1% in the fourth quarter, selling 22,707 shares and leaving it with 258,377 shares valued at about $27.2 million.
• Merck continues to draw positive attention from investors and analysts, with recent news including a settlement of more than $50 million over Gardasil lawsuits and a technical breakout above its 20-day and 50-day moving averages.
• The company reported solid quarterly results and maintained a dividend, beating earnings and revenue estimates for the quarter while announcing a $0.85 per-share quarterly dividend, equal to a 2.8% annual yield.

Vestcor Inc cut its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 8.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 258,377 shares of the company's stock after selling 22,707 shares during the period. Merck & Co., Inc. accounts for 0.8% of Vestcor Inc's investment portfolio, making the stock its 18th biggest position. Vestcor Inc's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $27,197,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Chesapeake Wealth Management increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. Chesapeake Wealth Management now owns 14,740 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,552,000 after acquiring an additional 87 shares during the period. Syverson Strege & Co increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.2% in the fourth quarter. Syverson Strege & Co now owns 4,142 shares of the company's stock valued at $436,000 after acquiring an additional 90 shares during the period. Westside Investment Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.1% in the fourth quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,142 shares of the company's stock valued at $331,000 after acquiring an additional 93 shares during the period. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 26.9% in the fourth quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 444 shares of the company's stock valued at $47,000 after acquiring an additional 94 shares during the period. Finally, Intrua Financial LLC increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 1.1% in the fourth quarter. Intrua Financial LLC now owns 8,604 shares of the company's stock valued at $906,000 after acquiring an additional 96 shares during the period. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck reached a settlement of more than $50 million to resolve over 200 Gardasil-related lawsuits, removing a significant legal overhang and helping investors refocus on the company’s core business and pipeline. Merck Gardasil Settlement Eases Legal Overhang And Refocuses Investor Attention
• Positive Sentiment: Merck recently broke above both its 20-day and 50-day moving averages, a technical signal that traders often view as a sign of improving short-term momentum. Merck (MRK) Recently Broke Out Above the 20-Day Moving Average
• Positive Sentiment: Merck’s oncology franchise continues to draw attention after ASCO 2026 updates highlighted Keytruda’s strength in solid tumors and other pipeline assets aimed at offsetting future exclusivity pressure. ASCO26: Solid tumour data readouts outline Merck & Co’s oncology prowess
• Positive Sentiment: Merck’s collaboration with Moderna on a personalized mRNA cancer vaccine also got a boost from positive long-term data disclosed by Moderna, reinforcing investor interest in the partnership. Why Is Moderna (MRNA) Stock Rocketing Higher Today
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck’s conference appearance and oncology strategy update likely kept investor focus on the pipeline, but the items available do not indicate a major new catalyst beyond ongoing progress. Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) Discusses Oncology Strategy and Program Update With Focus on Clinical Progress and Pipeline Diversification - Slideshow

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the stock. UBS Group boosted their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, April 13th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of 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. Citigroup assumed coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $125.00 price objective on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $142.00 price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday, March 30th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $128.18.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Up 0.7%

Shares of MRK opened at $121.05 on Friday. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $116.55 and its 200-day moving average price is $112.39. The firm has a market capitalization of $298.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.10, a PEG ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 0.21. 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 1-year low of $76.66 and a 1-year high of $125.14.

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 for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of ($1.47) by $0.19. The firm had revenue of $16.29 billion for 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 for the quarter was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.22 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.17 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

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

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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