Wealthfront Advisers LLC Boosts Holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Wealthfront Advisers LLC increased its stake in Merck by 22.2% during Q4, buying an additional 46,675 shares to hold 257,244 shares valued at about $27.08 million.
• Merck beat Q4 estimates with $2.04 EPS on $16.40 billion revenue and set FY2026 guidance of $5.00–$5.15 EPS; analysts carry a consensus "Moderate Buy" and a $128.47 price target.
• Insider selling is notable: insiders sold 320,176 shares worth roughly $38.28 million over the last three months, leaving insiders with 0.17% ownership.

Wealthfront Advisers LLC lifted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 22.2% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 257,244 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 46,675 shares during the period. Wealthfront Advisers LLC's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $27,078,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 302.3% during the 3rd quarter. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 354 shares of the company's stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 266 shares during the last quarter. United Financial Planning Group LLC purchased a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 3rd quarter worth $31,000. Wealth Watch Advisors INC purchased a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 3rd quarter worth $34,000. Dunhill Financial LLC grew its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 83.0% during the 3rd quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 419 shares of the company's stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 190 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Silicon Valley Capital Partners grew its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 160.5% during the 3rd quarter. Silicon Valley Capital Partners now owns 422 shares of the company's stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 260 shares during the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 1.4%

MRK stock opened at $110.28 on Tuesday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a one year low of $73.31 and a one year high of $125.14. The stock has a market capitalization of $272.38 billion, a PE ratio of 15.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 0.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 1.30 and a current ratio of 1.54. The company has a fifty day moving average of $118.39 and a 200-day moving average of $107.18.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.04 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.01 by $0.03. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 28.08% and a return on equity of 44.57%. The company had revenue of $16.40 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $16.19 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.72 EPS. The business's revenue was up 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.000-5.150 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 4.89 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Johannes Jacobus Oosthuizen sold 15,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.87, for a total value of $1,828,050.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 21,197 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,583,278.39. This trade represents a 41.44% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 37,685 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.92, for a total transaction of $4,556,870.20. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 160,174 shares of the company's stock, valued at $19,368,240.08. This trade represents a 19.05% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders have sold 320,176 shares of company stock worth $38,281,735. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Trending Headlines about Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Cleared a regulatory hurdle for the Terns Pharmaceuticals acquisition (Hart‑Scott Rodino waiting period expired); also highlighted CADENCE proof‑of‑concept data for Winrevair and European Commission approval of ENFLONSIA for infant RSV prevention — these advance revenue and pipeline catalysts. Merck Advances Terns Deal And Cardiovascular And RSV Growth Options
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst and media pieces point to Merck’s strong history of earnings beats and positioning for another upside surprise, supporting bullish near‑term expectations into the Q1 print. Will Merck (MRK) Beat Estimates Again in Its Next Earnings Report?
• Positive Sentiment: Featured as a "low risk, high growth" pick in recent coverage, reflecting investor interest in MRK’s diversified oncology and vaccine franchises that reduce single‑asset risk. Merck & Co. Inc. (MRK): One of the Best Low Risk High Growth Stocks to Buy Right Now
• Neutral Sentiment: Launched a public health education program (Playing with Heart) with baseball partners to raise LDL‑C awareness — positive for brand and prevention awareness but limited immediate financial impact. Merck's Playing with Heart Program Teams Up With Professional Baseball Clubs and Baseball Legends...
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro/market coverage notes expansion in specialty markets (e.g., peripheral T‑cell lymphoma) where multiple competitors — including Merck’s Keytruda in some settings — could benefit from long‑term demand growth. Impact is gradual rather than immediate. Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma Market to Witness Significant Expansion...
• Negative Sentiment: Some previews flag earnings risks: certain Zacks notes show divergent near‑term EPS assumptions (one preview cites a loss estimate for Q1), highlighting that accounting items, one‑offs or timing could pressure headline EPS despite revenue resilience. Investors face binary risk around the Q1 print. Buy, Sell or Hold MRK Stock With Q1 Earnings Around the Corner?

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Guggenheim raised their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $122.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday, December 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Cantor Fitzgerald raised their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $116.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Barclays assumed coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Friday, February 20th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $140.00 price objective on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $128.47.

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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