NewEdge Wealth LLC Decreases Stock Position in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Posted by Geri Gentry on Jul 24th, 2026

NewEdge Wealth LLC cut its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK – Free Report) by 24.8% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 66,602 shares of the company’s stock after selling 21,995 shares during the quarter. NewEdge Wealth LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $8,012,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Kingdom Financial Group LLC. purchased a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Prosperity Bancshares Inc bought a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Abound Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. purchased a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, High Note Wealth LLC lifted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 58.9% in 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. 76.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $130.57 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $322.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.08 and a beta of 0.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.30 and a quick ratio of 1.06. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1 year low of $76.66 and a 1 year high of $131.74. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $121.27 and a two-hundred day moving average of $117.62.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK – Get Free Report) last issued its 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. 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.85 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.22 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.74 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have issued reports on MRK shares. Guggenheim boosted their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Weiss Ratings downgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $142.00 price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $135.00 to $142.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $120.00 price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday, July 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $133.94.

View Our Latest Analysis on Merck & Co., Inc.

About Merck & Co., Inc.

(Free Report)

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.