Financiere des Professionnels Fonds d investissement inc. Purchases 9,642 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Financiere des Professionnels Fonds d investissement inc. lifted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 15.2% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 73,264 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 9,642 shares during the quarter. Financiere des Professionnels Fonds d investissement inc.’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $7,712,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.9% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 254,322,763 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,770,014,000 after buying an additional 2,185,853 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 60,047,984 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,307,572,000 after buying an additional 249,110 shares in the last quarter. DLD Asset Management LP grew its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 30.1% in the 3rd quarter. DLD Asset Management LP now owns 47,500,000 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,986,675,000 after buying an additional 11,000,000 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter worth approximately $3,997,933,000. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.3% in the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 24,873,327 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,618,166,000 after purchasing an additional 805,201 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Down 0.5%

Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $118.99 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $293.89 billion, a PE ratio of 33.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.69 and a beta of 0.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.30 and a quick ratio of 1.06. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $116.58 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $113.02. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52-week low of $76.66 and a 52-week high of $125.14.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($1.47) by $0.19. The firm had revenue of $16.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.85 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 13.59% and a return on equity of 27.55%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.22 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.17 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.85 per share. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.9%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio is currently 95.77%.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo reiterated its Buy rating on Merck, adding to the recent analyst support around the stock and reinforcing confidence in the company’s long-term outlook. Wells Fargo Keeps Their Buy Rating on Merck & Company (MRK)
• Positive Sentiment: Merck and Gilead reported positive Phase III HIV data for their once-weekly islatravir/lenacapavir regimen, which could expand Merck’s infectious-disease franchise if regulatory filings proceed as planned. Gilead, Merck Report Positive Phase III HIV Study Data, End NSCLC Study
• Positive Sentiment: Merck said it is expanding its EU digital traceability efforts and exploring options to help address the emerging Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak, highlighting new commercial and public-health initiatives. Merck Expands EU Traceability Push And Targets Bundibugyo Ebola Response
• Positive Sentiment: Technical coverage noted that MRK has moved back above its 50-day moving average while staying above its 200-day trendline, with Keytruda growth and pipeline progress supporting the investment case. Merck Stock Moves Above 50-Day SMA: Assessing Its Investment Case
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck was highlighted in research roundups and conference coverage, but these items were mainly recap-oriented and did not introduce a major new catalyst. Top Research Reports for Merck, Southern Company & Lumentum Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) Presents at Goldman Sachs 47th Annual Global Healthcare Conference 2026 Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Merck and Gilead also ended a Phase III non-small-cell lung cancer study after it failed to meet its efficacy bar, which may temper enthusiasm around some of Merck’s oncology pipeline efforts. Will HIV Win and Lung Cancer Loss in Trials Recast Merck’s (MRK) Risk Reward Narrative?

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MRK has been the subject of several analyst reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, June 6th. Weiss Ratings lowered Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, April 6th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $128.18.

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.