Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. Sells 11,310 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Whittier Trust trimmed its Merck stake by 4.1% in Q4, selling 11,310 shares and now holds 261,332 shares valued at about $28.45 million, per its latest 13F filing.
• Analysts are upbeat: Merck has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" with an average target of $128.47, and several firms recently raised price targets (e.g., BMO to $130, UBS to $145, Deutsche Bank to $150).
• Company insiders have been net sellers, offloading a total of 320,176 shares worth $38.28 million over the last quarter, including sales by the CEO and CMO.

Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. trimmed its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 4.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 261,332 shares of the company's stock after selling 11,310 shares during the quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc.'s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $28,451,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Darwin Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 237.4% during the 3rd quarter. Darwin Wealth Management LLC now owns 307 shares of the company's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 216 shares during the last quarter. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 302.3% in the 3rd quarter. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 354 shares of the company's stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 266 shares during the last quarter. United Financial Planning Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Wealth Watch Advisors INC bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $34,000. Finally, Deane Retirement Strategies Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $35,000. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on MRK shares. BMO Capital Markets upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $82.00 to $130.00 in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. UBS Group lifted their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday. Zacks Research upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $150.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $142.00 price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday, March 30th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $128.47.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CMO Chirfi Guindo sold 20,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.88, for a total value of $2,437,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief marketing officer owned 80,615 shares in the company, valued at $9,825,356.20. This trade represents a 19.88% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Robert M. Davis sold 47,434 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.04, for a total value of $5,599,109.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 443,602 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $52,362,780.08. The trade was a 9.66% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 320,176 shares of company stock worth $38,281,735 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.13% of the company's stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Down 2.1%

MRK opened at $115.42 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $285.07 billion, a PE ratio of 15.85, a PEG ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 0.26. The company has a quick ratio of 1.30, a current ratio of 1.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89. The business has a 50 day moving average of $119.18 and a 200-day moving average of $105.58. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52 week low of $73.31 and a 52 week high of $125.14.

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, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.01 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $16.40 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $16.19 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 44.57% and a net margin of 28.08%.The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 5.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.72 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.000-5.150 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 7th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 16th were paid a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.9%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 16th. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 46.70%.

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MRK? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.