Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. lessened its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK – Free Report) by 5.7% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 1,385,592 shares of the company’s stock after selling 83,512 shares during the period. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd.’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $145,847,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Kingdom Financial Group LLC. acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. High Note Wealth LLC grew its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 58.9% during the 4th quarter. High Note Wealth LLC now owns 294 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 109 shares in the last quarter. Tucker Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter worth approximately $34,000. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter worth approximately $37,000. Finally, United Financial Planning Group LLC acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company’s stock.
Merck & Co., Inc. News Roundup
Here are the key news stories impacting Merck & Co., Inc. this week:
- Positive Sentiment: The FDA granted Breakthrough Therapy designation to calderasib (MK-1084) with Keytruda in a lung cancer indication, a sign the program may move faster and expand Merck’s oncology growth prospects. Article Title
- Positive Sentiment: Analyst coverage and recent articles highlighted Merck’s newer drugs, pipeline assets, and M&A options as potential offsets to looming Keytruda patent expiration, reinforcing the bull case for long-term growth. Article Title
- Positive Sentiment: Merck has also been drawing investor attention as a trending stock and has outperformed the S&P 500 over the past year, suggesting market confidence remains relatively strong. Article Title
- Neutral Sentiment: Merck will participate in the Jefferies Global Healthcare Conference, which could provide an update on strategy but is not itself a major business catalyst. Article Title
- Neutral Sentiment: Shareholders backed board nominees, pay, and auditor ratification at the annual meeting, which reduces governance uncertainty but is unlikely to move the stock much. Article Title
- Negative Sentiment: The main longer-term concern remains Keytruda’s eventual loss of exclusivity, which could pressure Merck’s biggest revenue driver if replacement products do not scale quickly enough. Article Title
Analyst Ratings Changes
Read Our Latest Stock Report on MRK
Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 1.2%
Shares of NYSE:MRK opened at $118.49 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $116.39 and a 200-day simple moving average of $111.46. Merck & Co., Inc. has a twelve month low of $75.40 and a twelve month high of $125.14. The company has a market capitalization of $292.66 billion, a PE ratio of 33.38, a P/E/G ratio of 2.67 and a beta of 0.18. The company has a current ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02.
Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 firm had revenue of $16.29 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.85 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.22 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc.’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.16 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement
The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th will be given a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.9%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio is 95.77%.
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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