WNY Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK – Free Report) in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund bought 10,759 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,294,000.
Other institutional investors and hedge funds 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 worth $26,770,014,000 after buying an additional 2,185,853 shares during the period. State Street Corp grew its stake 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 valued at $12,737,504,000 after buying an additional 1,859,990 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 14.8% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 86,435,458 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,098,196,000 after buying an additional 11,156,354 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 60,047,984 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,307,572,000 after buying an additional 249,110 shares during the period. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 44,946,021 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,731,018,000 after acquiring an additional 359,486 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.07% of the company’s stock.
Key Merck & Co., Inc. News
Here are the key news stories impacting Merck & Co., Inc. this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Merck’s launch of subcutaneous Keytruda, known as Qlex, and other lifecycle extensions could preserve the drug’s commercial momentum and support exclusivity through 2039. Recent regulatory approvals, pipeline progress and the acquisitions of Terns and Cidara also broaden the company’s oncology and virology prospects. Merck: Heading Into Q2 Earnings, The Keytruda Cliff Looks Increasingly Less Steep
- Positive Sentiment: Analyst estimates have improved, including Erste Group’s modest increase in its FY2027 EPS forecast to $9.54 from $9.52. Barclays has also forecast strong potential appreciation for MRK, reinforcing the constructive sentiment around the shares. Barclays Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Merck & Co., Inc. Stock
- Positive Sentiment: Merck declared a quarterly dividend of $0.85 per share, payable October 7 to shareholders of record September 15. The dividend provides ongoing income support, with a reported annualized yield of about 2.6%.
- Neutral Sentiment: MRK is scheduled to release second-quarter 2026 results before the market opens on August 4. Consensus calls for approximately $16.33 billion in sales and a loss of $0.26 per share, with acquisition costs likely affecting reported earnings. Investors will watch Keytruda demand, Gardasil performance and management’s outlook. Should You Buy, Sell or Hold Merck Stock Ahead of Q2 Earnings?
- Neutral Sentiment: Merck and Wellcome’s Hilleman Laboratories are preparing an experimental Ebola vaccine for clinical trials. The initiative supports Merck’s public-health profile but is unlikely to materially affect near-term financial results. Merck, Wellcome Partner With Global Health Group to Make Ebola Vaccine for Clinical Trials
- Negative Sentiment: After a roughly 17% rally since its latest quarterly results, MRK may already reflect much of the favorable Keytruda and pipeline news. Analysts characterize its longer-term valuation as justified rather than clearly inexpensive, while Gardasil weakness and the approaching earnings event remain risks. Merck Stock Looks Cheap on Cash Flow but Fair on Earnings
Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Up 0.5%
Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($1.47) by $0.19. The company had revenue of $16.29 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.85 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 27.55% and a net margin of 13.59%.Merck & Co., Inc.’s revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.22 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.74 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement
The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be given a dividend of $0.85 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 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 currently 95.77%.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
A number of equities analysts recently commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $112.00 to $113.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $135.00 to $142.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $120.00 price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Monday, July 6th. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $134.50.
Get Our Latest Research Report on Merck & Co., Inc.
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.
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