VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al Reduces Position in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Virginia Retirement Systems cut its Merck stake by 10% in the fourth quarter, selling 151,000 shares and ending with 1.36 million shares worth about $142.8 million.
• Other large institutional investors, including Vanguard, DLD Asset Management, Legal & General, Invesco, and Ameriprise, increased their Merck holdings, and institutions now own about 76% of the company.
• Merck continues to show strong oncology momentum through KEYTRUDA-related collaborations and data updates, even as analysts note mixed signals from patent-expiry pressure, pipeline setbacks, and a neutral-to-moderately bullish Wall Street view.

VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al lessened its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 10.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,356,338 shares of the company's stock after selling 151,000 shares during the period. Merck & Co., Inc. comprises approximately 0.8% of VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al's investment portfolio, making the stock its 13th biggest position. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al owned 0.05% of Merck & Co., Inc. worth $142,768,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.9% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 254,322,763 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,770,014,000 after buying an additional 2,185,853 shares during the period. DLD Asset Management LP boosted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 30.1% during the third quarter. DLD Asset Management LP now owns 47,500,000 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,986,675,000 after buying an additional 11,000,000 shares during the period. Legal & General Group Plc boosted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 5.9% in the third quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 20,659,157 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,733,923,000 after purchasing an additional 1,156,112 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 16.6% in the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 19,844,936 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,665,585,000 after purchasing an additional 2,821,766 shares during the period. Finally, Ameriprise Financial Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 20.7% in the third quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 15,933,909 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,336,877,000 after purchasing an additional 2,735,459 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Key Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck highlighted new long-term oncology data and more than 100 ASCO 2026 abstracts spanning over 25 cancer types, underscoring the depth of its KEYTRUDA-driven pipeline and giving investors fresh reasons to stay constructive on the growth outlook. Merck Highlights New Long-Term Data and Advancements Across Broad Oncology Portfolio and Pipeline Research at ASCO 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Merck expanded KEYTRUDA collaborations with Erasca and Inhibrx, including a new trial collaboration and encouraging interim Phase 2 results that could advance into Phase 3, signaling continued external validation of its oncology franchise. Merck Broadens KEYTRUDA Collaborations As Patent Expiry Pressure Builds
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and commentary continue to point to Merck’s growth drivers, with reports emphasizing pipeline strength and Keytruda-related momentum after the company beat quarterly revenue expectations. Merck (MRK) Tops Quarterly Sales Forecasts as Keytruda Drives Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Citi reinstated Merck with a Neutral rating and a $125 price target, suggesting limited near-term upside despite a still-supportive valuation backdrop. Analyst Reinstates Merck (MRK) with ‘Neutral’ Rating, $125 Price Target
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks noted that investors are weighing Merck’s earnings beat against pipeline setbacks and weakness in Gardasil, creating a mixed fundamental picture rather than a clean catalyst. Merck Stock Down 7% in a Month: Should Investors Hold or Exit?
• Negative Sentiment: Merck continues to face pressure from patent-expiry concerns and commentary about slowing parts of the portfolio, which can limit enthusiasm even after recent positive trial and sales updates. Merck Broadens KEYTRUDA Collaborations As Patent Expiry Pressure Builds

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Up 1.0%

Shares of NYSE MRK opened at $112.40 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 capitalization of $277.60 billion, a PE ratio of 31.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 0.18. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $116.47 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $108.83. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12-month low of $73.31 and a 12-month 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 (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($1.47) by $0.19. The business had revenue of $16.29 billion for 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 business's revenue for the quarter was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter 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, analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.16 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently issued reports on the company. Zacks Research upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded 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. Cantor Fitzgerald boosted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $116.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $142.00 price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Monday, March 30th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, April 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $128.18.

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.

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