Gabelli Funds LLC Cuts Holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Gabelli Funds LLC decreased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 6.6% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 304,065 shares of the company’s stock after selling 21,375 shares during the period. Gabelli Funds LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $32,006,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in MRK. United Financial Planning Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the third quarter valued at about $31,000. Wealth Watch Advisors INC purchased a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the third quarter valued at about $34,000. Dunhill Financial LLC grew its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 83.0% in the third quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 419 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 190 shares in the last quarter. Silicon Valley Capital Partners grew its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 160.5% in the third quarter. Silicon Valley Capital Partners now owns 422 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 260 shares in the last quarter. Finally, J.Safra Asset Management Corp grew its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 53.6% in the third quarter. J.Safra Asset Management Corp now owns 450 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 157 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MRK has been the subject of several recent research reports. Wall Street Zen lowered Merck & Co., Inc. from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday. UBS Group lifted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, April 13th. Guggenheim lifted their price target 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. Zacks Research upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. Finally, Citigroup initiated coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $125.00 price target for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $128.18.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Up 1.1%

Shares of NYSE:MRK opened at $112.63 on Tuesday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1 year low of $75.40 and a 1 year high of $125.14. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $115.94 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $109.54. The firm has a market capitalization of $278.18 billion, a PE ratio of 31.73, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 0.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.30 and a quick ratio of 1.06.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($1.47) by $0.19. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 27.55% and a net margin of 13.59%.The business had revenue of $16.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.85 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.22 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. 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 year.

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.