Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Sold by Lazard Asset Management LLC

Lazard Asset Management LLC decreased its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 26.2% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 3,254,331 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,152,710 shares during the quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $391,464,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of MRK. Kingdom Financial Group LLC. bought a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Abound Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Prosperity Bancshares Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. High Note Wealth LLC lifted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 58.9% during the fourth quarter. High Note Wealth LLC now owns 294 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 109 shares during the last quarter. Finally, IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. bought a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter worth $31,000. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have weighed in on MRK shares. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, July 20th. 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 report on Tuesday, June 30th. Citigroup began coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $125.00 price objective for the company. Guggenheim increased their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Finally, UBS Group raised their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, April 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $133.94.

More Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck announced initial access plans for alimatravir, its investigational once-monthly oral HIV PrEP in Phase 3 development, and said it has signed voluntary licensing agreements covering 129 countries. That broad access strategy could support adoption in large international markets if the drug is approved. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck also issued a company release on the same alimatravir access plan, reinforcing that the program is moving forward and that it is trying to expand availability in regions that account for most new HIV diagnoses globally. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Traders also bought a high volume of Merck call options, which may reflect rising bullish speculation around the stock and the HIV pipeline, but it does not by itself change fundamentals. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Par Health launched the first generic version of Janumet XR in the U.S., which may pressure Merck’s diabetes-related sales and adds another competitive headwind for an established product. Article Title

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

Shares of MRK opened at $131.06 on Monday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1 year low of $76.66 and a 1 year high of $131.74. The company has a market cap of $323.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.20 and a beta of 0.19. 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 fifty day moving average of $121.67 and a 200-day moving average of $117.78.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($1.47) by $0.19. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 13.59% and a return on equity of 27.55%. The business had revenue of $16.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.85 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.22 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.74 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th were paid a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 95.77%.

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.