Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Sold by Nicholas Company Inc.

Nicholas Company Inc. decreased its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 9.7% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 49,156 shares of the company’s stock after selling 5,290 shares during the period. Nicholas Company Inc.’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $5,174,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Chesapeake Wealth Management raised its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. Chesapeake Wealth Management now owns 14,740 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,552,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.1% in the 4th quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,142 shares of the company’s stock valued at $331,000 after purchasing an additional 93 shares during the last quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 26.9% in the 4th quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 444 shares of the company’s stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 94 shares during the last quarter. Payne Capital LLC raised its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.9% in the 4th quarter. Payne Capital LLC now owns 10,637 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,120,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Abound Wealth Management raised its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 6.8% in the 4th quarter. Abound Wealth Management now owns 1,554 shares of the company’s stock valued at $164,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

NYSE MRK opened at $111.26 on Monday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $117.07 and its 200 day moving average price is $108.31. Merck & Co., Inc. has a twelve month low of $73.31 and a twelve month high of $125.14. The company has a market capitalization of $274.78 billion, a PE ratio of 31.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.51 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) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($1.47) by $0.19. The company had revenue of $16.29 billion during 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 firm’s revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.22 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.16 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts recently weighed in on MRK shares. Citigroup started coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $125.00 target price for the company. Guggenheim increased their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $122.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Barclays initiated coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Friday, February 20th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 target price on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Friday, May 1st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $128.18.

Trending Headlines about Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck published a landmark Science paper on a new large-scale biocatalytic synthesis method for its investigational oral PCSK9 inhibitor, enlicitide decanoate. The work supports manufacturing scalability for a potential future cardiovascular drug and underscores progress in Merck’s pipeline. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Merck also became the sole testing provider for Genetix Biotherapeutics’ FDA-approved gene therapies under a five-year agreement, strengthening its BioReliance services business and adding a recurring commercialization-related revenue stream. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary highlighted Merck as a well-prepared dividend stock despite its upcoming patent cliff, suggesting the market is still weighing long-term earnings durability rather than reacting to a single catalyst. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Merck is heading toward a July 27 trial over Gardasil safety claims after the vaccine reached an $8.9 billion sales peak. The litigation risk could weigh on sentiment around one of Merck’s key growth franchises, even though the company continues to defend the product’s safety record. Article Title

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.