Metis Global Partners LLC Has $14.49 Million Position in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Metis Global Partners LLC lowered its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 3.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 137,671 shares of the company’s stock after selling 4,967 shares during the quarter. Metis Global Partners LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $14,491,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the business. Financiere des Professionnels Fonds d investissement inc. grew its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 15.2% in the 4th quarter. Financiere des Professionnels Fonds d investissement inc. now owns 73,264 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,712,000 after purchasing an additional 9,642 shares during the period. Capital Analysts LLC grew its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 10.1% in the 4th quarter. Capital Analysts LLC now owns 73,785 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,766,000 after purchasing an additional 6,787 shares during the period. Paragon Private Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 5.5% in the 4th quarter. Paragon Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,241 shares of the company’s stock valued at $341,000 after purchasing an additional 170 shares during the period. First Dallas Securities Inc. grew its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 1.5% in the 4th quarter. First Dallas Securities Inc. now owns 10,671 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,123,000 after purchasing an additional 162 shares during the period. Finally, GW&K Investment Management LLC grew its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 4.3% in the 4th quarter. GW&K Investment Management LLC now owns 295,331 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,087,000 after purchasing an additional 12,221 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 price target for the company in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Zacks Research upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 17th. UBS Group raised their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $145.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Barclays started coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Friday, February 20th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 price objective on the stock. One 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’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $128.18.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:MRK opened at $118.99 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $116.58 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $113.02. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1-year low of $76.66 and a 1-year high of $125.14. The stock has a market cap 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.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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. The business had revenue of $16.29 billion for 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 business’s revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.22 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.17 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.85 per share. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.9%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s payout ratio is presently 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?

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.