Wesbanco Bank Inc. Sells 17,179 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Wesbanco Bank Inc. reduced its Merck stake by 5.6% in the fourth quarter, selling 17,179 shares and leaving it with 289,400 shares valued at about $30.5 million.
• Merck recently beat quarterly expectations, posting EPS of -$1.28 versus an expected -$1.47 and revenue of $16.29 billion, which topped estimates and rose 4.9% year over year.
• Wall Street sentiment remains cautiously bullish: the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy with a consensus price target of $128.18, while analysts at firms like UBS and RBC recently reiterated or raised targets.

Wesbanco Bank Inc. lowered its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 5.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 289,400 shares of the company's stock after selling 17,179 shares during the period. Merck & Co., Inc. comprises 0.8% of Wesbanco Bank Inc.'s holdings, making the stock its 22nd largest holding. Wesbanco Bank Inc.'s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $30,462,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. United Financial Planning Group LLC bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the third quarter valued at $31,000. Wealth Watch Advisors INC purchased a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the third quarter worth about $34,000. Dunhill Financial LLC boosted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 83.0% during the third 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. Silicon Valley Capital Partners boosted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 160.5% during the third 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. Finally, Valued Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 26.9% during the fourth quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 444 shares of the company's stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 94 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MRK has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Citigroup initiated coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Wednesday. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $125.00 target price on the stock. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, March 28th. UBS Group increased their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, April 13th. 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 Monday, March 30th. Finally, TD Cowen increased their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. One equities research 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 company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $128.18.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Down 0.9%

Shares of MRK opened at $111.26 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $274.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.34, a PEG ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 0.18. The company has a quick ratio of 1.30, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $117.07 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $108.31. Merck & Co., Inc. has a twelve month low of $73.31 and a twelve month high of $125.14.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($1.47) by $0.19. The business had revenue of $16.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations 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 quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.22 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.16 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 121,573 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.15, for a total value of $14,485,422.95. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 68,916 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $8,211,341.40. This trade represents a 63.82% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CMO Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 9th. The stock was 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 directly owned 70,615 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $8,361,522.15. This represents a 12.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 0.17% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck published a landmark Science paper on a new large-scale biocatalytic synthesis method for its investigational oral PCSK9 inhibitor, enlicitide decanoate. The work supports manufacturing scalability for a potential future cardiovascular drug and underscores progress in Merck’s pipeline. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Merck also became the sole testing provider for Genetix Biotherapeutics’ FDA-approved gene therapies under a five-year agreement, strengthening its BioReliance services business and adding a recurring commercialization-related revenue stream. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary highlighted Merck as a well-prepared dividend stock despite its upcoming patent cliff, suggesting the market is still weighing long-term earnings durability rather than reacting to a single catalyst. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Merck is heading toward a July 27 trial over Gardasil safety claims after the vaccine reached an $8.9 billion sales peak. The litigation risk could weigh on sentiment around one of Merck’s key growth franchises, even though the company continues to defend the product’s safety record. Article Title

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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