Wescott Financial Advisory Group LLC Sells 13,382 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Wescott Financial Advisory Group cut its Merck stake by 8.6% in the fourth quarter, selling 13,382 shares and leaving it with 142,332 shares worth about $14.98 million.
• Analyst sentiment remains constructive: several firms raised price targets recently, and the stock currently carries a Moderate Buy consensus with a $128.18 average target price.
• Merck’s latest results topped expectations, with quarterly EPS and revenue both beating estimates, while the company also announced a $0.85 quarterly dividend payable July 8.

Wescott Financial Advisory Group LLC lessened its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 8.6% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 142,332 shares of the company's stock after selling 13,382 shares during the quarter. Merck & Co., Inc. makes up approximately 1.3% of Wescott Financial Advisory Group LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 19th largest position. Wescott Financial Advisory Group LLC's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $14,982,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. SmartHarvest Portfolios LLC bought a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $841,000. Lyell Wealth Management LP increased its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 7.4% during the 4th quarter. Lyell Wealth Management LP now owns 5,355 shares of the company's stock valued at $564,000 after purchasing an additional 370 shares during the period. Vaughan David Investments LLC IL increased its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Vaughan David Investments LLC IL now owns 413,995 shares of the company's stock valued at $43,577,000 after purchasing an additional 1,754 shares during the period. Athena Investment Management increased its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Athena Investment Management now owns 8,777 shares of the company's stock valued at $924,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares during the period. Finally, Cornerstone Advisors Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $214,000. Institutional investors own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have weighed in on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, April 6th. UBS Group increased their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, April 13th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, June 6th. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $128.18.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

NYSE:MRK opened at $120.81 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $298.37 billion, a PE ratio of 34.03, a P/E/G ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 0.21. Merck & Co., Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $76.66 and a fifty-two week high of $125.14. 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 company has a 50 day simple moving average of $116.59 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $113.19.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 company's quarterly revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.22 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.17 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be given a dividend of $0.85 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.8%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 95.77%.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck Animal Health announced a definitive agreement to acquire TARGAN, adding a biodevice company focused on poultry performance and strengthening Merck’s animal health growth platform. Merck Animal Health to Acquire TARGAN
• Positive Sentiment: MRK regained its 50-day moving average and remains above its 200-day trendline, with articles pointing to Keytruda growth, pipeline advances, and recent deals as supporting factors. Merck Stock Moves Above 50-Day SMA: Assessing Its Investment Case
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo reiterated its Buy rating on Merck, reinforcing a constructive analyst view on the stock. Wells Fargo Keeps Their Buy Rating on Merck & Company (MRK)
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent “most searched stocks” and market commentary indicate rising investor attention, but do not point to a specific new fundamental development for MRK. Investors Heavily Search Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK): Here is What You Need to Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader healthcare-dealmaking momentum may be supportive for sector sentiment, but it is an indirect driver for Merck rather than a company-specific catalyst. Pharma and Biotech M&A Boom Accelerates as Companies Expand Pipelines
• Neutral Sentiment: Articles highlighting Merck’s recent outperformance versus its moving averages and strong Keytruda franchise are supportive, but largely reflect ongoing investor optimism rather than a new surprise. Merck Stock Moves Above 50-Day SMA: Assessing Its Investment Case
• Negative Sentiment: One market note said Merck rose but still lagged the broader market, implying investors may be favoring faster-moving names elsewhere despite MRK’s gains. Merck (MRK) Rises Yet Lags Behind Market: Some Facts Worth Knowing

Merck & Co., Inc. 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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