Nichols & Pratt Advisers LLP MA Has $53.73 Million Stock Holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Nichols & Pratt Advisers LLP MA trimmed its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 1.1% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 446,639 shares of the company’s stock after selling 4,982 shares during the period. Merck & Co., Inc. accounts for approximately 3.5% of Nichols & Pratt Advisers LLP MA’s holdings, making the stock its 11th largest position. Nichols & Pratt Advisers LLP MA’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $53,726,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Frank Rimerman Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 6.2% in the first quarter. Frank Rimerman Advisors LLC now owns 37,346 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,492,000 after purchasing an additional 2,186 shares in the last quarter. Quantum Portfolio Management LLC acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the first quarter worth $296,000. Lmcg Investments LLC raised its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.3% during the first quarter. Lmcg Investments LLC now owns 142,965 shares of the company’s stock valued at $17,197,000 after buying an additional 440 shares in the last quarter. Richmond Investment Services LLC lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 33.8% in the first quarter. Richmond Investment Services LLC now owns 2,561 shares of the company’s stock worth $308,000 after buying an additional 647 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Marino Stram & Associates LLC lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 1.0% in the first quarter. Marino Stram & Associates LLC now owns 24,966 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,003,000 after buying an additional 255 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Down 2.1%

Shares of NYSE:MRK opened at $126.10 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $311.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.52, a P/E/G ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 0.19. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $118.27 and its 200-day moving average is $116.06. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52-week low of $76.66 and a 52-week high of $130.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a current ratio of 1.30.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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 business had revenue of $16.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $15.85 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.22 EPS. The firm’s 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. Equities research analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.19 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th were given a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s payout ratio is currently 95.77%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently issued reports on MRK. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $120.00 price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Monday. Zacks Research upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. Citigroup began coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $125.00 target price for the company. Weiss Ratings downgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Finally, Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $141.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $132.11.

Key Headlines Impacting Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed its outperform rating on Merck and set a $142 price target, signaling meaningful upside from current levels. Benzinga report on RBC rating
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its price target on Merck to $150 and kept an overweight rating, adding to the bullish analyst tone around the stock. Benzinga report on Wells Fargo price target
• Positive Sentiment: Merck’s recent KEYTRUDA approvals in breast and bladder cancer broaden the drug’s use in difficult-to-treat cancers and strengthen the company’s oncology franchise ahead of future exclusivity losses. Article on KEYTRUDA approvals
• Positive Sentiment: Merck also reached a new access agreement for its HIV treatment IDVYNSO, improving commercial access and adding another supportive development for the valuation story. Article on HIV access deal
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck is trading above both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, which technically supports the stock, but the broader picture still includes patent expiry and vaccine-related concerns. Zacks technical analysis
• Neutral Sentiment: A separate research roundup highlighted Merck alongside other large-cap names, but did not introduce a new company-specific catalyst. Top Research Reports article
• Negative Sentiment: Some commentary noted Merck’s recent pullback and continuing investor focus on its post-Keytruda exclusivity outlook, which remains the main long-term risk to the stock. Article on valuation narrative

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.