California Public Employees Retirement System cut its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK – Free Report) by 13.8% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 7,383,088 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,185,318 shares during the period. Merck & Co., Inc. accounts for 0.5% of California Public Employees Retirement System’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 24th largest holding. California Public Employees Retirement System owned approximately 0.30% of Merck & Co., Inc. worth $888,112,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of MRK. Kingdom Financial Group LLC. acquired a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Abound Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Prosperity Bancshares Inc purchased a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. High Note Wealth LLC increased its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 58.9% in the 4th quarter. High Note Wealth LLC now owns 294 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 109 shares during the last quarter. Finally, IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Key Merck & Co., Inc. News
Here are the key news stories impacting Merck & Co., Inc. this week:
- Positive Sentiment: The FDA approval of LIPFENDRA gives Merck its first oral PCSK9 inhibitor, opening a new revenue stream in cardiovascular care and strengthening its non-oncology portfolio. Reuters article on FDA approval
- Positive Sentiment: Analysts highlighted continued oncology pipeline progress, including FDA acceptance of multiple regulatory filings and Merck’s broader effort to offset the eventual 2028 Keytruda patent cliff. Seeking Alpha article on pipeline expansion
- Neutral Sentiment: Coverage also noted that Lipfendra’s launch is expected soon and that the drug could become a major product over time, though sales will depend on uptake, pricing, and competition from existing cholesterol therapies. Zacks article on Lipfendra launch
- Neutral Sentiment: There was also a rumor that Merck may be in a takeover battle for genomics company Personalis, but this appears speculative and is not confirmed. Yahoo Finance article on Personalis rumor
Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Down 0.1%
Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 for the quarter was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.22 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 3.17 EPS for the current year.
Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend
The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th were given a dividend of $0.85 per share. 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 dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 95.77%.
Analyst Ratings Changes
Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Sunday, July 12th. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $112.00 to $113.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $135.00 to $142.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Finally, Citigroup initiated coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $125.00 target price on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $133.94.
Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Merck & Co., Inc.
Merck & Co., Inc. 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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