Westpac Banking Corp Sells 63,983 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Westpac Banking Corp cut its Merck stake by 52.4% in the fourth quarter, selling 63,983 shares and leaving it with 58,082 shares worth about $6.1 million.
• Institutional ownership in Merck remains high at 76.07%, and several other funds either added to or initiated positions in the company during the same period.
• Recent catalysts for Merck include FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation for calderasib with Keytruda, encouraging five-year melanoma data for its Moderna partnership, and a newly announced quarterly dividend of $0.85 per share.

Westpac Banking Corp lessened its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 52.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 58,082 shares of the company's stock after selling 63,983 shares during the quarter. Westpac Banking Corp's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $6,114,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Calton & Associates Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 7.8% in the 4th quarter. Calton & Associates Inc. now owns 15,768 shares of the company's stock worth $1,660,000 after acquiring an additional 1,144 shares during the last quarter. Financial Harvest LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 11.4% in the 4th quarter. Financial Harvest LLC now owns 7,203 shares of the company's stock worth $758,000 after acquiring an additional 740 shares during the last quarter. Dynasty Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Dynasty Wealth Management LLC now owns 12,291 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,294,000 after buying an additional 143 shares in the last quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 9.4% during the 4th quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 2,527,577 shares of the company's stock valued at $266,053,000 after buying an additional 217,330 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Pincus Capital Management LP bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter valued at about $4,506,000. Institutional investors own 76.07% 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 said the FDA granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation for calderasib in combination with Keytruda for certain newly diagnosed metastatic KRAS G12C-mutant non-small cell lung cancer patients, which may speed development and improve the drug’s commercial outlook. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Moderna and Merck presented five-year data for their melanoma combination therapy, showing a 49% reduction in recurrence or death risk versus Keytruda alone, reinforcing confidence in Merck’s oncology pipeline and Keytruda’s franchise. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Reports highlighted possible new EU approval momentum for Keytruda, which would expand the drug’s reach outside the U.S. and support future revenue growth. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Merck announced a quarterly dividend, reinforcing its shareholder-return profile and signaling financial stability. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Merck is also strengthening its capital structure with a notes offering, which may improve liquidity and financial flexibility. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck will participate in the Goldman Sachs Global Healthcare Conference, a routine investor event that could provide updates but does not by itself change fundamentals. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary from Jim Cramer noting that Merck’s cancer dominance has been challenged by J&J is more of a competitive observation than a direct catalyst, but it underscores pressure in oncology. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Reuters reported Merck is discussing whether its COVID antiviral molnupiravir could be used in the Ebola response; this is potentially meaningful, but still exploratory. Article Title

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, May 16th. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, April 13th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $145.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Guggenheim lifted their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $122.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $128.18.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Up 0.6%

Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $115.89 on Wednesday. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $116.42 and its 200-day moving average price is $111.81. The company has a quick ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52-week low of $75.43 and a 52-week high of $125.14. The company has a market cap of $286.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.65, a PEG ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 0.21.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($1.47) by $0.19. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 13.59% and a return on equity of 27.55%. The firm had revenue of $16.29 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.85 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.22 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.16 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.85 per share. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.9%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.'s payout ratio is presently 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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