USS Investment Management Ltd boosted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK – Free Report) by 2.6% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 434,031 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 10,994 shares during the period. USS Investment Management Ltd’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $52,214,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.9% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 254,322,763 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,770,014,000 after buying an additional 2,185,853 shares during the period. State Street Corp raised its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 1.6% in the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 120,040,168 shares of the company’s stock worth $12,737,504,000 after buying an additional 1,859,990 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 14.8% in the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 86,435,458 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,098,196,000 after buying an additional 11,156,354 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 60,047,984 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,307,572,000 after acquiring an additional 249,110 shares during the last quarter. Finally, DLD Asset Management LP lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 30.1% during the third quarter. DLD Asset Management LP now owns 47,500,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,986,675,000 after purchasing an additional 11,000,000 shares during the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
More Merck & Co., Inc. News
Here are the key news stories impacting Merck & Co., Inc. this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Bank of America raised its price target on Merck to $141 from $130 and reiterated a buy rating, while Scotiabank lifted its target to $155 from $136 with a sector outperform view, signaling stronger Wall Street confidence in the stock’s upside. Bank of America and Scotiabank raise Merck price targets
- Positive Sentiment: Analysts also highlighted Merck’s lung cancer drug pipeline, saying an upcoming phase 3 readout for OptiTrop-Lung06 could improve the commercial outlook for SAC-TMT and boost future sales potential. Merck’s Lung Cancer Drug Seen Boosting Sales Potential, BofA Says
- Positive Sentiment: Merck announced an agreement with the ADAP Crisis Task Force to improve access to HIV treatment through state programs, which may modestly support sentiment around its infectious-disease franchise. Merck Announces New Agreement with ADAP Crisis Task Force
- Neutral Sentiment: Broader healthcare stocks were softer late Tuesday, which may have added some pressure even as Merck continued to attract company-specific buying interest. Sector Update: Healthcare Stocks Softer Late Afternoon
- Negative Sentiment: Merck is also facing a bipartisan U.S. House investigation into whether clinical trials conducted in China, including at military-linked hospitals and in Xinjiang, raised national security or data-protection concerns, which could weigh on sentiment if the probe escalates. Merck (MRK) Faces U.S. Security Probe Over China Clinical Trials
Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance
Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($1.47) by $0.19. The company had revenue of $16.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $15.85 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 27.55% and a net margin of 13.59%.The firm’s revenue was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.22 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.18 earnings per share for the current year.
Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend
The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.85 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.6%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s payout ratio is 95.77%.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
MRK has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $142.00 target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Monday, March 30th. Citigroup began coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $125.00 price target for the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, June 6th. CICC Research started coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $138.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, April 6th. One equities research 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. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $131.83.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on MRK
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.
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