Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd. Sells 16,364 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd. reduced its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 10.3% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 142,493 shares of the company’s stock after selling 16,364 shares during the quarter. Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd.’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $14,999,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in MRK. DLD Asset Management LP grew its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 30.1% in the 3rd quarter. DLD Asset Management LP now owns 47,500,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,986,675,000 after buying an additional 11,000,000 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. grew its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 16.6% in the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 19,844,936 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,665,585,000 after buying an additional 2,821,766 shares during the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. grew its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 20.7% in the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 15,933,909 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,336,877,000 after buying an additional 2,735,459 shares during the last quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp grew its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 61.6% in the 3rd quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 5,325,033 shares of the company’s stock worth $446,930,000 after buying an additional 2,029,342 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Danske Bank A S bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $159,973,000. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 37,685 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction on Friday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.92, for a total transaction of $4,556,870.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 160,174 shares in the company, valued at approximately $19,368,240.08. The trade was a 19.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Caroline Litchfield sold 41,997 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.61, for a total value of $5,023,261.17. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 90,192 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,787,865.12. The trade was a 31.77% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 320,176 shares of company stock valued at $38,281,735 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: European Commission approves Merck’s ENFLONSIA (clesrovimab) for prevention of RSV lower respiratory tract disease in infants, giving Merck a new EU commercial opportunity in a pediatric respiratory market. European Commission Approves Merck’s ENFLONSIA
• Positive Sentiment: U.S. FDA grants Priority Review for ifinatamab deruxtecan (co-developed with Daiichi Sankyo) for extensive-stage small cell lung cancer — a potential first-in-class B7-H3 therapy that could materially expand Merck’s oncology franchise if approved. Merck’s Priority Review Cancer Drug Adds To Undervalued Growth Story
• Positive Sentiment: UBS raises its price target on MRK to $145 (from $130) and reiterates a Buy rating, signaling stronger analyst confidence that supports near-term upside and investor sentiment. UBS Raises Merck (MRK) Price Forecast as Part of Sector Preview
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader healthcare sector strength is lifting MRK along with peers today, as the NYSE Health Care Index trades higher — a tailwind but not company-specific. Sector Update: Health Care Stocks Higher Friday Afternoon
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry write-ups and trade ideas (comparisons to Novartis, bullish options strategies) are increasing attention on MRK; these pieces can drive retail interest but are less likely to change fundamentals immediately. Better Pharma Dividend Stock: Novartis vs. Merck

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Up 3.1%

Shares of NYSE:MRK opened at $118.99 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $119.12 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $106.01. The stock has a market capitalization of $293.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.35, a PEG ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 0.26. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12-month low of $73.31 and a 12-month high of $125.14. The company has a current ratio of 1.54, a quick ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.01 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $16.40 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $16.19 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 44.57% and a net margin of 28.08%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 5.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.72 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.000-5.150 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 7th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 16th were paid a dividend of $0.85 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 16th. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.9%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s payout ratio is presently 46.70%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on MRK. UBS Group lifted their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, April 13th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $142.00 price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday, March 30th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $135.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. TD Cowen lifted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, March 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $128.47.

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.