Wealthfront Advisers LLC Has $37.44 Million Holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Wealthfront Advisers LLC increased its Merck stake by 21% in the first quarter, ending with 311,279 shares valued at about $37.44 million.
• Institutional ownership in Merck remains high at 76.07%, and several other funds also boosted their positions during recent quarters.
• Analysts remain broadly positive on Merck, with a Moderate Buy consensus and an average price target of $133.94; the company also beat quarterly earnings and revenue estimates in its latest report.

Wealthfront Advisers LLC lifted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 21.0% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 311,279 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 54,035 shares during the period. Wealthfront Advisers LLC's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $37,444,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 29.5% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 38,278 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,808,000 after buying an additional 8,710 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC increased its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 52.2% during the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 11,494 shares of the company's stock valued at $910,000 after acquiring an additional 3,941 shares during the period. Diversify Advisory Services LLC raised its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 94.1% in the 2nd quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC now owns 32,256 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,590,000 after acquiring an additional 15,636 shares in the last quarter. Diversify Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 22.2% in the 2nd quarter. Diversify Wealth Management LLC now owns 38,031 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,054,000 after acquiring an additional 6,897 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 111.7% in the 2nd quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 681,128 shares of the company's stock worth $53,918,000 after acquiring an additional 359,356 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on MRK. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $112.00 to $113.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $142.00 price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Cantor Fitzgerald restated a "neutral" rating and issued a $120.00 price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Finally, Citigroup assumed coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $125.00 price objective for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $133.94.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $123.56 on Thursday. 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 firm has a market cap of $305.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.80, a P/E/G ratio of 3.03 and a beta of 0.19. The business's fifty day moving average is $119.48 and its two-hundred day moving average is $116.72. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52 week low of $76.66 and a 52 week high of $130.29.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly 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 business had revenue of $16.29 billion during 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%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s revenue for the quarter was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.22 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 4.35 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th were issued a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio is currently 95.77%.

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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