Patton Albertson Miller Group LLC Sells 5,744 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Patton Albertson Miller Group LLC lessened its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 12.6% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 39,759 shares of the company’s stock after selling 5,744 shares during the period. Patton Albertson Miller Group LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $4,185,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in MRK. D.A. Davidson & CO. lifted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 4.4% in the fourth quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 576,959 shares of the company’s stock worth $60,731,000 after purchasing an additional 24,576 shares during the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 48.9% during the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 97,818 shares of the company’s stock worth $10,296,000 after purchasing an additional 32,114 shares during the last quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 12.7% during the third quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 123,366 shares of the company’s stock worth $10,364,000 after purchasing an additional 13,940 shares during the last quarter. Campbell Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the third quarter worth $1,866,000. Finally, NEOS Investment Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 39.9% during the third quarter. NEOS Investment Management LLC now owns 347,684 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,181,000 after purchasing an additional 99,074 shares during the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $142.00 target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday, March 30th. Wolfe Research upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $135.00 price objective for the company in a report on Thursday, January 8th. TD Cowen lifted their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Barclays initiated coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Friday, February 20th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Citigroup initiated coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Wednesday. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $125.00 target price for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $128.18.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of NYSE MRK opened at $113.53 on Thursday. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $117.31 and its 200 day moving average price is $108.12. The firm has a market cap of $280.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.98, a P/E/G ratio of 2.24 and a beta of 0.18. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52 week low of $73.31 and a 52 week high of $125.14. The company has a quick ratio of 1.30, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($1.47) by $0.19. The business had revenue of $16.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.85 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 27.55% and a net margin of 13.59%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.22 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.15 earnings per share for the current year.

Key Headlines Impacting Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst lifts Merck price target after Q1 beat — a recent note raised the target following Merck’s better-than-expected Q1 results, reinforcing upside potential and supporting investor sentiment. Analyst Raises Merck (MRK) Price Target by $1 After Beating Q1 Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: BMO Capital reiterates Buy — institutional support from BMO keeps conviction in Merck’s growth and pipeline prospects, which can bolster demand for the stock. BMO Capital Remains a Buy on Merck & Company (MRK)
• Positive Sentiment: Merck completes acquisition of Terns Pharmaceuticals — closing Terns adds oncology assets and near-term R&D value that could lift future revenue if assets progress. Merck Completes Acquisition of Terns Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
• Positive Sentiment: Regulatory boost for Terns’ candidate — MSD/ Merck’s TERN-701 received FDA breakthrough therapy designation for Ph+ CML (non-T315I), enhancing the strategic value of the acquired pipeline. MSD concludes Terns acquisition to expand CML pipeline
• Neutral Sentiment: New coverage from Citigroup is Neutral with a $125 target — adds a fresh perspective but the rating is not bullish, leaving room for mixed investor reactions. Citigroup coverage note (summary)
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst pieces highlight valuation debate after a pullback — some outlets argue Merck remains attractive on Keytruda growth and pipeline, while others point to conflicting valuation signals that could limit near-term gains. Is Merck (MRK) Still Attractive After Recent Pullback And Conflicting Valuation Signals
• Negative Sentiment: Shares slipped after the earnings report despite the beat — the market reaction suggests investors are cautious about near-term headwinds or valuation, which can pressure the stock in the short term. Merck Stock Looks Undervalued as KEYTRUDA Growth and Pipeline Offset Near-Term Headwinds

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

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 121,573 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.15, for a total transaction of $14,485,422.95. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 68,916 shares in the company, valued at $8,211,341.40. This represents a 63.82% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 37,685 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.92, for a total value of $4,556,870.20. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 160,174 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $19,368,240.08. The trade was a 19.05% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 189,258 shares of company stock valued at $22,663,993. Insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

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.