Cadinha & Co. LLC Raises Holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Cadinha & Co. LLC increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 2,005.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 252,024 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 240,055 shares during the quarter. Merck & Co., Inc. makes up approximately 4.1% of Cadinha & Co. LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 11th largest position. Cadinha & Co. LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $26,528,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Westside Investment Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.1% during the fourth quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,142 shares of the company’s stock worth $331,000 after purchasing an additional 93 shares in the last quarter. Payne Capital LLC increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.9% during the fourth quarter. Payne Capital LLC now owns 10,637 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,120,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. Abound Wealth Management increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 6.8% during the fourth quarter. Abound Wealth Management now owns 1,554 shares of the company’s stock worth $164,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. Mattern Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 1.7% during the fourth quarter. Mattern Wealth Management LLC now owns 6,033 shares of the company’s stock worth $635,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Jmac Enterprises LLC grew its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 1.6% in the 4th quarter. Jmac Enterprises LLC now owns 6,616 shares of the company’s stock valued at $696,000 after buying an additional 103 shares in the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: FDA granted Priority Review for two supplemental BLA filings for KEYTRUDA in combination regimens for muscle‑invasive bladder cancer — this could expand a high‑value label for KEYTRUDA if approved, supporting future revenue. Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) Gains FDA Priority Review for KEYTRUDA Regimen in Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer
• Positive Sentiment: Merck announced a multi‑year partnership with Google Cloud (up to $1B) to deploy agentic AI across R&D, manufacturing and commercial functions — a strategic investment that could boost long‑term productivity, R&D efficiency and digital transformation. Merck and Google Cloud Partner to Accelerate Agentic AI Enterprise Transformation
• Positive Sentiment: FDA approved IDVYNSO, a once‑daily two‑drug, non‑INSTI, tenofovir‑free HIV regimen — a new approved product can contribute incremental sales and diversify Merck’s commercial portfolio. Merck Weighs New HIV Approval Against Mixed Oncology Trial Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports say Merck and other drugmakers are eyeing a deal for Inhibrx’s experimental cancer drug tied to KEYTRUDA — strategic M&A/licensing interest is a potential longer‑term positive but remains speculative and valuation‑dependent. Exclusive: Merck, rivals eye deal in Inhibrx experimental cancer drug tied to Keytruda, sources say
• Neutral Sentiment: Market research notes expansion in the polycythemia vera field and lists Merck’s bomedemstat as one of several emerging entrants — a potential long‑term opportunity but competitive and years from wide commercial impact. Polycythemia Vera Market Set for Transformation: Key 9 Companies Expected to Enter by 2036
• Negative Sentiment: Merck and partner Eisai reported a late‑stage Keytruda‑based triplet in first‑line advanced renal cell carcinoma failed to meet primary endpoints — this clinical setback has already pressured the stock and raises near‑term uncertainty around that program and investor confidence in certain oncology readouts. MRK Down as Triplet Therapy Fails to Meet Goal in Kidney Cancer Study
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts expect Merck to report a year‑over‑year earnings decline and note Merck lacks the key factors typically associated with an earnings beat — weaker near‑term EPS guidance/expectations can cap upside and prompt short‑term selling. Analysts Estimate Merck (MRK) to Report a Decline in Earnings: What to Look Out for

Insider Activity

In other news, CMO Chirfi Guindo sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.88, for a total transaction of $2,437,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief marketing officer directly owned 80,615 shares in the company, valued at $9,825,356.20. This trade represents a 19.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Robert M. Davis sold 47,434 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.04, for a total value of $5,599,109.36. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 443,602 shares in the company, valued at approximately $52,362,780.08. The trade was a 9.66% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 320,176 shares of company stock worth $38,281,735 in the last three months. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $114.68 on Friday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52 week low of $73.31 and a 52 week high of $125.14. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $118.80 and its 200-day simple moving average is $106.58. The firm has a market cap of $283.25 billion, a PE ratio of 15.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.27 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.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.04 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.01 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $16.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.19 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 44.57% and a net margin of 28.08%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.72 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.000-5.150 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 4.93 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 7th. Investors of record on Monday, March 16th were given a dividend of $0.85 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 16th. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.0%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 46.70%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have issued reports on MRK shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 target price for the company in a report on Friday, February 13th. Cantor Fitzgerald upped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $116.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Wolfe Research upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $135.00 target price for the company in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $142.00 target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Monday, March 30th. Finally, Barclays started coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Friday, February 20th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 target price for the company. One 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 stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $128.47.

Merck & Co., Inc. 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.