Los Angeles Capital Management LLC Has $404.92 Million Position in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Los Angeles Capital Management LLC raised its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 12.7% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 3,846,868 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 434,420 shares during the quarter. Merck & Co., Inc. comprises approximately 1.4% of Los Angeles Capital Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 10th biggest position. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $404,921,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of MRK. Kingdom Financial Group LLC. bought a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. United Financial Planning Group LLC bought a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the third quarter valued at approximately $31,000. High Note Wealth LLC grew its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 58.9% in the fourth quarter. High Note Wealth LLC now owns 294 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 109 shares in the last quarter. Tucker Asset Management LLC bought a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Finally, Wealth Watch Advisors INC bought a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the third quarter valued at approximately $34,000. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

More Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck reached a settlement of more than $50 million to resolve over 200 Gardasil-related lawsuits, removing a significant legal overhang and helping investors refocus on the company’s core business and pipeline. Merck Gardasil Settlement Eases Legal Overhang And Refocuses Investor Attention
• Positive Sentiment: Merck recently broke above both its 20-day and 50-day moving averages, a technical signal that traders often view as a sign of improving short-term momentum. Merck (MRK) Recently Broke Out Above the 20-Day Moving Average
• Positive Sentiment: Merck’s oncology franchise continues to draw attention after ASCO 2026 updates highlighted Keytruda’s strength in solid tumors and other pipeline assets aimed at offsetting future exclusivity pressure. ASCO26: Solid tumour data readouts outline Merck & Co’s oncology prowess
• Positive Sentiment: Merck’s collaboration with Moderna on a personalized mRNA cancer vaccine also got a boost from positive long-term data disclosed by Moderna, reinforcing investor interest in the partnership. Why Is Moderna (MRNA) Stock Rocketing Higher Today
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck’s conference appearance and oncology strategy update likely kept investor focus on the pipeline, but the items available do not indicate a major new catalyst beyond ongoing progress. Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) Discusses Oncology Strategy and Program Update With Focus on Clinical Progress and Pipeline Diversification – Slideshow

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have weighed in on MRK shares. Citigroup started coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $125.00 price target for the company. Zacks Research upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 17th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 target price for the company in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $142.00 target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Monday, March 30th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $128.18.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $121.05 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a current ratio of 1.30. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52 week low of $76.66 and a 52 week high of $125.14. The stock has a market capitalization of $298.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 0.21. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $116.55 and a 200-day moving average of $112.39.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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%.Merck & Co., Inc.’s quarterly revenue was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company 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 5.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be given a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s payout ratio is 95.77%.

Merck & Co., Inc. 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.