Mondrian Investment Partners LTD Sells 38,085 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Mondrian Investment Partners LTD trimmed its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 2.3% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 1,610,232 shares of the company’s stock after selling 38,085 shares during the period. Merck & Co., Inc. comprises approximately 2.7% of Mondrian Investment Partners LTD’s holdings, making the stock its 12th largest position. Mondrian Investment Partners LTD’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $169,493,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Chesapeake Wealth Management lifted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. Chesapeake Wealth Management now owns 14,740 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,552,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.1% in the 4th quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,142 shares of the company’s stock valued at $331,000 after purchasing an additional 93 shares during the last quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 26.9% in the 4th quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 444 shares of the company’s stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 94 shares during the last quarter. Intrua Financial LLC lifted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Intrua Financial LLC now owns 8,604 shares of the company’s stock valued at $906,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Payne Capital LLC lifted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.9% in the 4th quarter. Payne Capital LLC now owns 10,637 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,120,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares during the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of MRK stock opened at $122.55 on Friday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52-week low of $75.40 and a 52-week high of $125.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a current ratio of 1.30. The firm has a market capitalization of $302.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.52, a P/E/G ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.18. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $115.92 and a 200 day moving average price of $110.22.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.85 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.22 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc.’s quarterly revenue was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.16 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on MRK shares. Barclays started coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Friday, February 20th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 price objective for the company. Wall Street Zen lowered Merck & Co., Inc. from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 16th. Cantor Fitzgerald raised their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $116.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Finally, UBS Group raised their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, April 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $128.18.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck and partner Sichuan Kelun-Biotech reported encouraging late-stage lung cancer data for a Keytruda combination, with the treatment beating Keytruda alone and improving confidence in Merck’s cancer pipeline. Kelun, Merck’s lung cancer combo improves survival in late-stage China trial
• Positive Sentiment: The European Medicines Agency’s CHMP issued a positive opinion for Keytruda plus Padcev as a perioperative treatment for certain bladder cancer patients, which could expand the drug pair’s commercial reach if formally approved. Merck Receives Positive EU CHMP Opinion for KEYTRUDA Plus Padcev
• Positive Sentiment: Additional coverage highlighted positive EU recommendations and trial momentum across Merck’s oncology portfolio, suggesting the company is building new growth drivers ahead of future Keytruda patent pressure. Merck stock jumps as Keytruda combo trials boost cancer pipeline
• Neutral Sentiment: Some commentary noted Gardasil sales remain weak due to soft demand in China and other markets, which is a reminder that Merck still has headwinds outside oncology. Will Weak Gardasil Sales Continue to Ail MRK’s Vaccines Sales in 2026?
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck’s recent run-up also reflects broader investor optimism after strong quarterly results and improving sentiment around its pipeline, rather than a single one-day event. Merck Stock Climbs on Cancer Data. Why the Drugmaker Is More Than a One-Trick Pony.

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.