Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Acquired by Wealthfront Advisers LLC

Wealthfront Advisers LLC raised its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 2.0% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 317,659 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 6,380 shares during the period. Wealthfront Advisers LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $40,819,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter worth about $3,997,933,000. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 14.8% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 86,435,458 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,098,196,000 after purchasing an additional 11,156,354 shares during the last quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. acquired a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,012,530,000. Jennison Associates LLC acquired a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter worth approximately $585,192,000. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 37.9% during the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 18,753,390 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,973,983,000 after purchasing an additional 5,152,069 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 2.1%

MRK stock opened at $153.21 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $378.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 122.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.56 and a beta of 0.19. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12 month low of $77.58 and a 12 month high of $156.92. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $130.39 and its 200-day simple moving average is $122.04. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.32 and a quick ratio of 1.10.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.26) by $0.13. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 4.77% and a return on equity of 16.73%. The company had revenue of $16.61 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.37 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.13 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.76 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be issued a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s payout ratio is 272.00%.

Trending Headlines about Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Positive melanoma results strengthen the pipeline. Merck and Moderna reported positive Phase 3 topline results for intismeran autogene, an individualized neoantigen therapy used with KEYTRUDA in resected melanoma. The program could create a new growth opportunity and help extend KEYTRUDA’s commercial runway. Merck Surges on a Melanoma Win
• Positive Sentiment: A busy fall catalyst calendar is attracting investors. Upcoming FDA decisions, additional pipeline updates and a pivotal cancer-vaccine readout could materially influence expectations for Merck’s post-KEYTRUDA growth profile. What Would It Take to Get MRK Stock to $200?
• Positive Sentiment: Pipeline progress, new product launches and potential M&A are improving the long-term growth outlook and easing concerns about eventual KEYTRUDA revenue pressure. Merck Stock Hits New 52-Week High
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts have become more bullish. Wolfe Research raised its price target from $155 to $180 with an outperform rating, while Argus increased its target from $145 to $170 and upgraded the stock to buy. These revisions provide additional support for the recent advance.
• Neutral Sentiment: The cancer-vaccine opportunity remains uncertain. Reuters noted that evidence for broad use of the personalized therapy is still limited, with manufacturing, patient-selection and clinical-adoption challenges potentially affecting its commercial impact. How the Merck-Moderna Cancer Vaccine Works
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and execution risks are increasing. After gaining roughly 19% over the past month and trading near its 52-week high, MRK is approaching analyst targets, leaving less room for disappointment. Investors will likely focus on whether upcoming approvals and trial results can justify further upside.

Insider Transactions at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 80,315 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.46, for a total value of $10,718,839.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 45,509 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,073,631.14. The trade was a 63.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $135.00, for a total value of $1,350,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 36,613 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,942,755. The trade was a 21.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 228,238 shares of company stock valued at $29,977,783. 0.17% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MRK has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Cantor Fitzgerald restated a “neutral” rating and set a $120.00 price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from an “outperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $142.00 to $150.00 in a report on Thursday, August 20th. Jefferies Financial Group downgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 19th. Wolfe Research raised their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $155.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Bank of America lifted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Merck & Co., Inc. has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $147.60.

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.