LaFleur & Godfrey LLC cut its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK – Free Report) by 5.0% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 81,223 shares of the company’s stock after selling 4,253 shares during the period. Merck & Co., Inc. comprises about 1.4% of LaFleur & Godfrey LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 23rd largest position. LaFleur & Godfrey LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $11,803,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. BlackRock Inc. boosted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.5% in the 2nd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 226,999,837 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,169,479,000 after buying an additional 1,073,507 shares during the period. State Street Corp grew its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.9% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 120,413,256 shares of the company’s stock worth $15,573,754,000 after acquiring an additional 1,087,583 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.3% during the second quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 86,249,283 shares of the company’s stock worth $11,083,033,000 after acquiring an additional 1,934,312 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 10.5% during the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 30,774,221 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,701,831,000 after acquiring an additional 2,919,780 shares during the period. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 23.8% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 15,456,039 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,858,938,000 after acquiring an additional 2,969,856 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.07% of the company’s stock.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
A number of analysts recently issued reports on the company. Berenberg Bank boosted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $127.00 to $137.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, September 11th. Scotiabank increased their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $155.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock a “sector outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 29th. Cantor Fitzgerald raised their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $120.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, October 8th. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $105.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Finally, Argus upped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 25th. Seventeen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Merck & Co., Inc. presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $153.12.
Get Our Latest Research Report on Merck & Co., Inc.
Insider Activity
In related news, EVP David R. Maraldo sold 18,706 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $128.72, for a total transaction of $2,407,836.32. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 18,212 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,344,248.64. This trade represents a 50.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP David Williams sold 52,847 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $128.77, for a total value of $6,805,108.19. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 31,716 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,084,069.32. This represents a 62.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 228,238 shares of company stock worth $29,977,783 over the last 90 days. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.
Key Merck & Co., Inc. News
Here are the key news stories impacting Merck & Co., Inc. this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Merck’s KEYTRUDA reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 43% in a Phase 3 endometrial-cancer trial. The result strengthens the company’s oncology franchise and could support future label expansion and revenue growth. Merck’s KEYTRUDA Cuts Progression Risk By 43% In Phase 3 Endometrial Cancer Trial
- Positive Sentiment: Additional oncology readouts, including positive results from the Moderna-partnered melanoma vaccine and other cancer treatments, are providing fresh support for Merck’s pipeline and long-term growth prospects. Merck Gains Fresh Oncology Backing As Valuation Debate Heats Up
- Positive Sentiment: Broker commentary remains broadly constructive, with Barclays forecasting significant appreciation potential and other analysts highlighting KEYTRUDA demand and new-drug growth ahead of the earnings release. Barclays Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Merck
- Neutral Sentiment: Merck is scheduled to report third-quarter results before the market opens on October 29. Investors are focused on KEYTRUDA sales, full-year guidance and management’s outlook for the pipeline. Dear Merck Stock Fans, Mark Your Calendars for October 29
- Neutral Sentiment: The Moderna-Merck melanoma vaccine cut recurrence risk by 42% in a Phase 3 trial, but the outcome reportedly fell short of investor expectations, limiting its immediate effect on MRK. Merck and Moderna’s Cancer Vaccine Worked
- Negative Sentiment: Pre-earnings concerns include difficult year-over-year comparisons, declining earnings estimates, weaker Gardasil demand and looming patent exposure. These factors could offset strong KEYTRUDA performance and increase volatility around the report. Is Merck Stock a Buy, Sell or Hold Ahead of Q3 Earnings?
Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 0.6%
Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $141.03 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $347.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 112.83, a PEG ratio of 6.74 and a beta of 0.21. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $147.01 and its two-hundred day moving average is $126.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.32 and a quick ratio of 1.10. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1 year low of $82.01 and a 1 year high of $156.92.
Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.26) by $0.13. The company had revenue of $16.61 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.37 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 4.77% and a return on equity of 16.73%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.13 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.64 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Merck & Co., Inc. Company Profile
Merck & Co, Inc is a global healthcare company that develops, manufactures and markets prescription medicines, vaccines and animal-health products. Its pharmaceutical business focuses on oncology, infectious diseases, cardiology, immunology and other areas of significant medical need. The company serves patients, healthcare providers and institutions in markets worldwide.
Merck’s principal products include Keytruda, an immunotherapy used to treat a range of cancers; Gardasil and Gardasil 9, vaccines that help protect against human papillomavirus; and Januvia and Janumet, medicines used to manage type 2 diabetes.
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