Wescott Financial Advisory Group LLC Has $14.98 Million Stake in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Wescott Financial Advisory Group LLC lowered its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 8.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 142,332 shares of the company’s stock after selling 13,382 shares during the quarter. Merck & Co., Inc. comprises approximately 1.3% of Wescott Financial Advisory Group LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 19th largest holding. Wescott Financial Advisory Group LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $14,982,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in 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 purchasing an additional 2,185,853 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in 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 purchasing an additional 249,110 shares during the period. DLD Asset Management LP grew its position in 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 purchasing an additional 11,000,000 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter valued at $3,997,933,000. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC grew its position 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 valued at $2,618,166,000 after purchasing an additional 805,201 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms recently issued reports on MRK. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $142.00 price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday, March 30th. Citigroup began coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $125.00 price target for the company. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Barclays began coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Friday, February 20th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 price target for the company. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, June 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Merck & Co., Inc. presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $128.18.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Up 1.4%

NYSE MRK opened at $120.81 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $298.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.03, a PEG ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 0.21. Merck & Co., Inc. has a one year low of $76.66 and a one year high of $125.14. 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 business’s fifty day moving average is $116.59 and its 200-day moving average is $113.19.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($1.47) by $0.19. The company 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 for the quarter was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.22 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.17 EPS for the current 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 2.8%. 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: Merck Animal Health announced a definitive agreement to acquire TARGAN, adding a biodevice company focused on poultry performance and strengthening Merck’s animal health growth platform. Merck Animal Health to Acquire TARGAN
• Positive Sentiment: MRK regained its 50-day moving average and remains above its 200-day trendline, with articles pointing to Keytruda growth, pipeline advances, and recent deals as supporting factors. Merck Stock Moves Above 50-Day SMA: Assessing Its Investment Case
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo reiterated its Buy rating on Merck, reinforcing a constructive analyst view on the stock. Wells Fargo Keeps Their Buy Rating on Merck & Company (MRK)
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent “most searched stocks” and market commentary indicate rising investor attention, but do not point to a specific new fundamental development for MRK. Investors Heavily Search Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK): Here is What You Need to Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader healthcare-dealmaking momentum may be supportive for sector sentiment, but it is an indirect driver for Merck rather than a company-specific catalyst. Pharma and Biotech M&A Boom Accelerates as Companies Expand Pipelines
• Neutral Sentiment: Articles highlighting Merck’s recent outperformance versus its moving averages and strong Keytruda franchise are supportive, but largely reflect ongoing investor optimism rather than a new surprise. Merck Stock Moves Above 50-Day SMA: Assessing Its Investment Case
• Negative Sentiment: One market note said Merck rose but still lagged the broader market, implying investors may be favoring faster-moving names elsewhere despite MRK’s gains. Merck (MRK) Rises Yet Lags Behind Market: Some Facts Worth Knowing

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.