New Age Alpha Advisors LLC Has $13.43 Million Holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

New Age Alpha Advisors LLC lessened its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 18.1% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 127,557 shares of the company’s stock after selling 28,212 shares during the quarter. Merck & Co., Inc. accounts for about 0.6% of New Age Alpha Advisors LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 23rd biggest position. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $13,427,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of MRK. Kingdom Financial Group LLC. acquired a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. United Financial Planning Group LLC purchased a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 3rd quarter valued at about $31,000. High Note Wealth LLC grew its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 58.9% during the 4th quarter. High Note Wealth LLC now owns 294 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 109 shares in the last quarter. Tucker Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, Wealth Watch Advisors INC purchased a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 3rd quarter valued at about $34,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MRK has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Wall Street Zen cut Merck & Co., Inc. from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 16th. Zacks Research raised Merck & Co., Inc. from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 17th. Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $116.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Barclays initiated coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Friday, February 20th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 target price on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $128.18.

More Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck and partner Sichuan Kelun-Biotech reported encouraging late-stage lung cancer data for a Keytruda combination, with the treatment beating Keytruda alone and improving confidence in Merck’s cancer pipeline. Kelun, Merck’s lung cancer combo improves survival in late-stage China trial
• Positive Sentiment: The European Medicines Agency’s CHMP issued a positive opinion for Keytruda plus Padcev as a perioperative treatment for certain bladder cancer patients, which could expand the drug pair’s commercial reach if formally approved. Merck Receives Positive EU CHMP Opinion for KEYTRUDA Plus Padcev
• Positive Sentiment: Additional coverage highlighted positive EU recommendations and trial momentum across Merck’s oncology portfolio, suggesting the company is building new growth drivers ahead of future Keytruda patent pressure. Merck stock jumps as Keytruda combo trials boost cancer pipeline
• Neutral Sentiment: Some commentary noted Gardasil sales remain weak due to soft demand in China and other markets, which is a reminder that Merck still has headwinds outside oncology. Will Weak Gardasil Sales Continue to Ail MRK’s Vaccines Sales in 2026?
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck’s recent run-up also reflects broader investor optimism after strong quarterly results and improving sentiment around its pipeline, rather than a single one-day event. Merck Stock Climbs on Cancer Data. Why the Drugmaker Is More Than a One-Trick Pony.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Up 0.1%

NYSE:MRK opened at $122.55 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $302.67 billion, a PE ratio of 34.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.18. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $115.92 and its two-hundred day moving average is $110.41. Merck & Co., Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $75.40 and a fifty-two week high of $125.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.30 and a quick ratio of 1.06.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last announced 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 business had revenue of $16.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $15.85 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 27.55% and a net margin of 13.59%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.22 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.16 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.