Great Lakes Advisors LLC Acquires New Position in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Great Lakes Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 75,899 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,753,000.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MRK. Kingdom Financial Group LLC. acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Abound Financial LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Prosperity Bancshares Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. High Note Wealth LLC raised its stake in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 109 shares in the last quarter. Finally, IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. purchased a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter valued at $31,000. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Positive melanoma results strengthen the pipeline. Merck and Moderna reported positive Phase 3 topline results for intismeran autogene, an individualized neoantigen therapy used with KEYTRUDA in resected melanoma. The program could create a new growth opportunity and help extend KEYTRUDA’s commercial runway. Merck Surges on a Melanoma Win
• Positive Sentiment: A busy fall catalyst calendar is attracting investors. Upcoming FDA decisions, additional pipeline updates and a pivotal cancer-vaccine readout could materially influence expectations for Merck’s post-KEYTRUDA growth profile. What Would It Take to Get MRK Stock to $200?
• Positive Sentiment: Pipeline progress, new product launches and potential M&A are improving the long-term growth outlook and easing concerns about eventual KEYTRUDA revenue pressure. Merck Stock Hits New 52-Week High
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts have become more bullish. Wolfe Research raised its price target from $155 to $180 with an outperform rating, while Argus increased its target from $145 to $170 and upgraded the stock to buy. These revisions provide additional support for the recent advance.
• Neutral Sentiment: The cancer-vaccine opportunity remains uncertain. Reuters noted that evidence for broad use of the personalized therapy is still limited, with manufacturing, patient-selection and clinical-adoption challenges potentially affecting its commercial impact. How the Merck-Moderna Cancer Vaccine Works
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and execution risks are increasing. After gaining roughly 19% over the past month and trading near its 52-week high, MRK is approaching analyst targets, leaving less room for disappointment. Investors will likely focus on whether upcoming approvals and trial results can justify further upside.

Insider Activity

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, EVP David R. Maraldo sold 18,706 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $128.72, for a total transaction of $2,407,836.32. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 18,212 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,344,248.64. This trade represents a 50.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 11,699 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $131.63, for a total transaction of $1,539,939.37. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 110,167 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,501,282.21. The trade was a 9.60% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 228,238 shares of company stock valued at $29,977,783 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

NYSE:MRK opened at $153.21 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $378.00 billion, a PE ratio of 122.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.56 and a beta of 0.19. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $130.39 and its 200 day moving average price is $122.04. 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 12 month low of $77.58 and a 12 month high of $156.92.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.26) by $0.13. The company had revenue of $16.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $16.37 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 16.73% and a net margin of 4.77%.Merck & Co., Inc.’s quarterly revenue was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.13 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.76 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be given a dividend of $0.85 per share. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 272.00%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MRK has been the subject of several analyst reports. Wolfe Research boosted their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $155.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Barclays lifted their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Scotiabank boosted their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $136.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a “sector outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. Bank of America upped their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada cut shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from an “outperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating and raised their target price for the company from $142.00 to $150.00 in a report on Thursday, August 20th. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Merck & Co., Inc. has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $147.60.

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.