Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Sold by Intech Investment Management LLC

Intech Investment Management LLC reduced its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 73.8% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 162,728 shares of the company’s stock after selling 459,082 shares during the period. Intech Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $17,129,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Brighton Jones LLC raised its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 29.5% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 38,278 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,808,000 after purchasing an additional 8,710 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 52.2% in 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 in the last quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC boosted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 94.1% during the second 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 during the last quarter. Diversify Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 22.2% during the second 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 during the last quarter. Finally, MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 111.7% during the 2nd quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 681,128 shares of the company’s stock worth $53,918,000 after purchasing an additional 359,356 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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 shareholders approved the company’s board nominees, executive pay package, and auditor ratification at its annual meeting, reinforcing governance continuity and removing a potential overhang. Merck Shareholders Back Board, Pay and Auditor Ratification
• Positive Sentiment: Merck announced participation in the Jefferies Global Healthcare Conference, which can spark investor attention if management provides updates on pipeline progress, guidance, or strategic priorities. Merck to Participate in the Jefferies Global Healthcare Conference
• Positive Sentiment: Merck’s chicken bronchitis vaccine was approved for use in China, expanding a potential animal-health opportunity in a large market and adding a modest growth catalyst. Merck chicken bronchitis vaccine approved for use in China
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck congratulated Ontario on expanding pharmacy scope rules, a policy development that is favorable for healthcare access but has no immediate direct financial impact on MRK. Merck Congratulates Ontario Government on Expanding Pharmacy Scope to Help Improve Access to Care
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck remained a heavily watched stock in Zacks coverage and on analyst/market screens, but those mentions were not tied to a new fundamental development. Here is What to Know Beyond Why Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) is a Trending Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: The company’s upcoming Jefferies appearance and shareholder-call materials may keep attention on the stock, but they do not yet signal a clear change in earnings outlook. Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) Shareholder/Analyst Call – Slideshow

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently commented on MRK. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $142.00 price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Monday, March 30th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 16th. Cantor Fitzgerald boosted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $116.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Citigroup started coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $125.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Guggenheim raised their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $122.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $128.18.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

Shares of MRK stock opened at $119.87 on Friday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $116.31 and its 200-day simple moving average is $111.41. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52 week low of $75.40 and a 52 week high of $125.14. The company has a current ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02. The company has a market cap of $296.05 billion, a PE ratio of 33.77, a P/E/G ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 0.18.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $15.85 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.22 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.16 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be given a $0.85 dividend. 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 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.