Hamilton Wealth LLC Increases Stock Position in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Hamilton Wealth LLC raised its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 67.4% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 195,102 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 78,556 shares during the period. Merck & Co., Inc. makes up 1.7% of Hamilton Wealth LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 17th biggest holding. Hamilton Wealth LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $23,469,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Kensington Investment Counsel LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.3% in the 1st quarter. Kensington Investment Counsel LLC now owns 39,225 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,718,000 after acquiring an additional 879 shares during the last quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems increased its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 52.5% in the 1st quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems now owns 241,239 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,019,000 after purchasing an additional 83,043 shares during the last quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC increased its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 52.8% in the 1st quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 2,880,199 shares of the company’s stock valued at $346,467,000 after purchasing an additional 995,059 shares during the last quarter. Bull Harbor Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the first quarter valued at approximately $2,850,000. Finally, Strategic Investment Advisors MI purchased a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the first quarter valued at approximately $853,000. 76.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have commented on MRK. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Guggenheim lifted their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. CICC Research initiated coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $138.00 price objective on the stock. Wall Street Zen lowered Merck & Co., Inc. from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, July 20th. Finally, Bank of America raised their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $141.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $134.50.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of MRK opened at $130.45 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $322.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.75, a PEG ratio of 5.23 and a beta of 0.19. Merck & Co., Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $77.53 and a fifty-two week high of $135.05. The company has a quick ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $122.73 and its 200 day moving average price is $118.24.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($1.47) by $0.19. The company 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 was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.22 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.74 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be paid a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 95.77%.

Key Headlines Impacting Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Barclays raised its price target to $150 from $140 and maintained an “overweight” rating, implying roughly 15% upside from the referenced price. The increase reflects continued confidence in Merck’s outlook. Barclays raises Merck price target
• Positive Sentiment: KEYTRUDA met its primary progression-free-survival endpoint in a Phase 3 trial for advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer, outperforming platinum-based chemotherapy. Merck said the result could support future regulatory filings and strengthen its oncology pipeline. Merck KEYTRUDA endometrial cancer trial
• Positive Sentiment: Merck announced its fourth-quarter 2026 dividend, reinforcing the stock’s appeal to income-oriented investors and signaling continued capital-return support. The provided announcement did not include the dividend amount or payment details. Merck fourth-quarter dividend announcement
• Neutral Sentiment: Wells Fargo reiterated its Buy rating, while broader brokerage coverage places Merck at a “Moderate Buy” consensus, indicating generally favorable but not universally bullish sentiment. Wells Fargo maintains Merck Buy rating
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts expect Merck’s second-quarter earnings to decline, and a Zacks preview says the company lacks the typical signals associated with a likely earnings beat. This raises near-term execution risk ahead of the earnings report. Merck second-quarter earnings preview

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.