Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. Has $24.83 Million Stock Position in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. reduced its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 7.6% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 235,906 shares of the company’s stock after selling 19,298 shares during the period. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc.’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $24,832,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of MRK. United Financial Planning Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the third quarter valued at $31,000. Wealth Watch Advisors INC acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 3rd quarter valued at $34,000. Dunhill Financial LLC grew its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 83.0% in the 3rd quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 419 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 190 shares during the last quarter. Silicon Valley Capital Partners grew its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 160.5% in the 3rd quarter. Silicon Valley Capital Partners now owns 422 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 260 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Valued Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 26.9% during the 4th quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 444 shares of the company’s stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 94 shares in the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck published a landmark Science paper on a new large-scale biocatalytic synthesis method for its investigational oral PCSK9 inhibitor, enlicitide decanoate. The work supports manufacturing scalability for a potential future cardiovascular drug and underscores progress in Merck’s pipeline. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Merck also became the sole testing provider for Genetix Biotherapeutics’ FDA-approved gene therapies under a five-year agreement, strengthening its BioReliance services business and adding a recurring commercialization-related revenue stream. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary highlighted Merck as a well-prepared dividend stock despite its upcoming patent cliff, suggesting the market is still weighing long-term earnings durability rather than reacting to a single catalyst. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Merck is heading toward a July 27 trial over Gardasil safety claims after the vaccine reached an $8.9 billion sales peak. The litigation risk could weigh on sentiment around one of Merck’s key growth franchises, even though the company continues to defend the product’s safety record. Article Title

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Guggenheim lifted 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. TD Cowen upped their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $142.00 price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Monday, March 30th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $145.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Finally, 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 report on Friday, February 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $128.18.

Insider Transactions at Merck & Co., Inc.

In related news, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 121,573 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.15, for a total transaction of $14,485,422.95. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 68,916 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,211,341.40. The trade was a 63.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CMO Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.41, for a total transaction of $1,184,100.00. Following the transaction, the chief marketing officer owned 70,615 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,361,522.15. This represents a 12.40% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 0.9%

Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $111.26 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.30, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12 month low of $73.31 and a 12 month high of $125.14. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $117.07 and a 200 day simple moving average of $108.31. The stock has a market cap of $274.78 billion, a PE ratio of 31.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 0.18.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($1.47) by $0.19. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 27.55% and a net margin of 13.59%.The firm had revenue of $16.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.85 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.22 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly 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. Research analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.16 EPS for the current 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.