NewEdge Advisors LLC Acquires 41,950 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 10.1% during the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 455,515 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 41,950 shares during the quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $58,534,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Round Rock Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.7% during the second quarter. Round Rock Advisors LLC now owns 9,901 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,272,000 after acquiring an additional 66 shares during the last quarter. Cascade Financial Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.5% in the second quarter. Cascade Financial Partners LLC now owns 14,746 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,895,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares during the last quarter. Somerset Trust Co grew its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.9% in the second quarter. Somerset Trust Co now owns 8,701 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,118,000 after purchasing an additional 81 shares during the last quarter. Stonebridge Financial Group LLC increased its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.9% in the second quarter. Stonebridge Financial Group LLC now owns 8,747 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,124,000 after purchasing an additional 81 shares during the period. Finally, Stronghold Wealth Management L.L.C. increased its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.6% in the second quarter. Stronghold Wealth Management L.L.C. now owns 3,237 shares of the company’s stock valued at $416,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares during the period. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Guggenheim raised its price target to $170 from $146 and reiterated a “Buy” rating, implying roughly 14.5% upside from the referenced price. The upgrade provides a bullish signal and may support MRK by indicating confidence in Merck’s earnings outlook and product pipeline. Benzinga analyst note
• Positive Sentiment: Keytruda continues to drive Merck’s growth, while newer products and pipeline programs could help offset the expected impact of the drug’s 2028 patent cliff. The company’s strong recent return and revenue momentum reinforce the longer-term growth case. Merck trading near 52-week high analysis
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck will participate in Morgan Stanley’s 24th Annual Global Healthcare Conference. The event could provide updates on Keytruda, Gardasil, pipeline assets, and post-2028 planning, but no new financial information was disclosed in the announcement. Morgan Stanley healthcare conference announcement
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck is participating in a cocoa traceability and digital product-passport pilot with The Hashgraph Group and PwC Germany. The initiative may support corporate sustainability efforts but is unlikely to materially affect near-term earnings. Cocoa traceability partnership
• Negative Sentiment: MRK’s valuation is elevated after its substantial rally, increasing the risk that investors will demand continued strong execution. Analysts and investors are also watching whether Merck can replace Keytruda revenue after the 2028 patent expiration. Merck Gardasil and future growth analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Gardasil’s earlier sales decline remains part of the investment debate, even though management is now emphasizing longer-term growth opportunities. Continued vaccine-market pressure could weigh on sentiment until the company demonstrates a sustained recovery. Gardasil outlook analysis

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of NYSE MRK opened at $148.44 on Wednesday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $77.58 and a fifty-two week high of $156.92. The stock has a market cap of $366.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 118.75, a PEG ratio of 6.54 and a beta of 0.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.32. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $135.46 and its 200 day simple moving average is $123.92.

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

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be issued a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s payout ratio is 272.00%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have commented on MRK shares. Guggenheim lifted their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $146.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, September 4th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group cut Merck & Co., Inc. from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 19th. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $149.80.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP David Maraldo sold 18,706 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $128.72, for a total value of $2,407,836.32. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 18,212 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,344,248.64. The trade was a 50.67% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Richard Deluca sold 20,784 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $130.43, for a total transaction of $2,710,857.12. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 134,703 shares in the company, valued at approximately $17,569,312.29. This trade represents a 13.37% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 228,238 shares of company stock worth $29,977,783 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

About Merck & Co., Inc.

Merck & Co, Inc is a global healthcare company that develops, manufactures, and markets prescription medicines, vaccines, and animal-health products. The company serves patients, healthcare providers, and customers in markets worldwide through its Human Health and Animal Health businesses.

Merck’s pharmaceutical portfolio includes oncology, infectious disease, cardiology, immunology, and other therapeutic areas. Its products include Keytruda, an immunotherapy used to treat various cancers; Gardasil, a vaccine that helps protect against human papillomavirus (HPV); and Januvia, a treatment for type 2 diabetes.