Violich Capital Management Inc. Has $5.29 Million Stock Position in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Violich Capital Management cut its stake in Merck by 28.2% in Q4, selling 19,685 shares and finishing with 50,207 shares worth about $5.285 million.
• Merck's Q results showed EPS of ($1.28) that beat estimates by $0.19 and revenue of $16.29 billion, and the company set FY2026 guidance at 5.040–5.160 EPS (analysts expect ~5.16).
• Insider selling was notable in February: the CMO sold 10,000 shares (~$1.18M) and the EVP sold 121,573 shares (~$14.49M); institutional investors hold about 76% of the stock.

Violich Capital Management Inc. cut its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 28.2% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 50,207 shares of the company's stock after selling 19,685 shares during the quarter. Violich Capital Management Inc.'s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $5,285,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. International Assets Investment Management LLC grew its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 12.0% in the 4th quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 29,803 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,137,000 after buying an additional 3,201 shares during the last quarter. Asset Planning Inc boosted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 5.1% in the 4th quarter. Asset Planning Inc now owns 2,413 shares of the company's stock valued at $254,000 after purchasing an additional 116 shares during the period. MPS Loria Financial Planners LLC bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter valued at $203,000. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 4.4% in the 4th quarter. Cassaday & Co Wealth Management LLC now owns 8,337 shares of the company's stock valued at $878,000 after purchasing an additional 348 shares during the period. Finally, Detalus Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 10.4% in the 4th quarter. Detalus Advisors LLC now owns 2,938 shares of the company's stock valued at $309,000 after purchasing an additional 277 shares during the period. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

NYSE:MRK opened at $112.22 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $117.07 and a 200-day moving average of $108.31. The company has a market capitalization of $277.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.61, a PEG ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 0.18. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52 week low of $73.31 and a 52 week high of $125.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 1.30 and a current ratio of 1.30.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($1.47) by $0.19. The company had revenue of $16.29 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.85 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 13.59% and a return on equity of 27.55%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.22 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.16 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MRK has been the subject of a number of research reports. TD Cowen increased their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Guggenheim increased their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $122.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Wolfe Research raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "peer perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $135.00 price target for the company in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $145.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $150.00 price target for the company in a report on Friday, February 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $128.18.

Insider Transactions at Merck & Co., Inc.

In related news, CMO Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.41, for a total transaction of $1,184,100.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief marketing officer owned 70,615 shares in the company, valued at $8,361,522.15. This trade represents a 12.40% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 121,573 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.15, for a total transaction of $14,485,422.95. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 68,916 shares of the company's stock, valued at $8,211,341.40. This trade represents a 63.82% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company insiders own 0.17% of the company's stock.

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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