Tema Etfs LLC boosted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK – Free Report) by 40.5% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 110,620 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 31,887 shares during the quarter. Merck & Co., Inc. comprises about 0.9% of Tema Etfs LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 21st largest position. Tema Etfs LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $11,644,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in MRK. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 29.5% during the fourth 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 period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC increased its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 52.2% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 11,494 shares of the company’s stock worth $910,000 after buying an additional 3,941 shares during the period. Edgestream Partners L.P. increased its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 16.7% in the 2nd quarter. Edgestream Partners L.P. now owns 35,207 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,787,000 after buying an additional 5,049 shares during the period. WCG Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.3% during the 2nd quarter. WCG Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 14,398 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,140,000 after buying an additional 325 shares during the last quarter. Finally, River Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 21.9% during the 2nd quarter. River Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 66,018 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,226,000 after buying an additional 11,853 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.07% of the company’s stock.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
Several analysts have recently commented on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $135.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Zacks Research raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Guggenheim upped their price target 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. Finally, Barclays assumed coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Friday, February 20th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 price target on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $127.13.
Key Merck & Co., Inc. News
Here are the key news stories impacting Merck & Co., Inc. this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Completed acquisition of JSR Life Sciences’ chromatography business broadens Merck’s downstream purification portfolio with next‑generation Protein A chromatography, improving its biomanufacturing offering and positioning it to capture more upstream/downstream spend from biologics manufacturers. Merck Completes Acquisition of JSR Life Sciences’ Chromatography Business
- Positive Sentiment: New R&D collaboration with Infinimmune could deliver up to ~$838M in milestones to Merck as it funds discovery of immune cell‑directed antibodies — expands early‑stage pipeline and de‑risks future biologics launches. Infinimmune, Merck enter into antibody discovery pact
- Positive Sentiment: Merck’s recent acquisitions and the Terns buy (noted in coverage) signal management’s push to bolster oncology revenue streams — a strategic move that supports longer‑term growth and margin expansion. Merck Just Made a Big Bet on a New Cancer Growth Engine
- Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada issued an Outperform rating on MRK, which can draw buying interest from institutional investors and supports the stock’s momentum. Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Earns Outperform Rating from Royal Bank Of Canada
- Positive Sentiment: Latest quarterly results showed an EPS beat and raised FY‑2026 EPS guidance (5.000–5.150), supporting the view that core operations and margins remain healthy. Merck & Co., Inc. Stock/Results Summary
- Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces highlighting Merck as an “affordable” dividend/defensive stock and inclusion in lists of defensive names may increase retail interest but are unlikely to move fundamentals materially. Why is Merck & Co. (MRK) One of the Best Affordable Stocks to Buy With Good Earnings Growth?
- Neutral Sentiment: Coverage noting an expanded collaboration between Tempus AI and Merck highlights partnerships in data/AI, but the near‑term revenue impact for Merck is unclear. Assessing Tempus AI (TEM) Valuation After ALERT Cardiology Trial Results And Expanded Merck Collaboration
- Neutral Sentiment: Macro/market pieces (Barclays’ defensive picks, Blackstone fund closing) provide context for investor flows into healthcare but do not directly change Merck’s fundamentals. Barclays names top 4 defensive stocks to weather global uncertainty
- Negative Sentiment: Short‑term price churn has appeared in recent sessions (some intraday dips and lagging vs. the broader market on certain days), reflecting market volatility and rotation risk that could cap near‑term upside. Merck (MRK) Dips More Than Broader Market: What You Should Know
Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Up 0.6%
Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $121.06 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $299.31 billion, a PE ratio of 16.63, a P/E/G ratio of 2.33 and a beta of 0.27. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12 month low of $73.31 and a 12 month high of $125.14. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $117.24 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $102.68. The company has a current ratio of 1.54, a quick ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89.
Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.04 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.01 by $0.03. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 28.08% and a return on equity of 44.57%. The firm had revenue of $16.40 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.19 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.72 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.000-5.150 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 earnings per share for the current year.
Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement
The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 7th. Investors of record on Monday, March 16th will be given a dividend of $0.85 per share. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 16th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 46.70%.
Insider Buying and Selling
In other news, CEO Robert M. Davis sold 47,434 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.04, for a total transaction of $5,599,109.36. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 443,602 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $52,362,780.08. This represents a 9.66% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 121,573 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.15, for a total value of $14,485,422.95. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 68,916 shares in the company, valued at $8,211,341.40. This trade represents a 63.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 320,176 shares of company stock valued at $38,281,735 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.
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.
Further Reading
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