Kathmere Capital Management LLC Increases Holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Kathmere Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 21.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 25,933 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,540 shares during the period. Kathmere Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $2,730,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. DLD Asset Management LP boosted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 30.1% in the third quarter. DLD Asset Management LP now owns 47,500,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,986,675,000 after buying an additional 11,000,000 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the second quarter valued at about $2,858,570,000. Fisher Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.3% during the 2nd quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 25,013,697 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,980,084,000 after buying an additional 567,900 shares during the period. Legal & General Group Plc raised its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 5.9% during the 3rd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 20,659,157 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,733,923,000 after buying an additional 1,156,112 shares during the period. Finally, Invesco Ltd. lifted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 16.6% during the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 19,844,936 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,665,585,000 after acquiring an additional 2,821,766 shares in the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck agreed to acquire Terns Pharmaceuticals for about $6.7 billion to add TERN‑701, an investigational CML drug that could meaningfully strengthen Merck’s hematology/oncology lineup ahead of Keytruda’s patent cliff. Merck to Boost Oncology Pipeline With $6.7B Terns Buyout, Stock Up
• Positive Sentiment: Citi raised its price target on MRK to $125 (from $120), reflecting continued analyst recognition of Merck’s profitability and strategic M&A. Citi Raises its Price Target on Merck & Co. (MRK) to $125 from $120
• Positive Sentiment: Agilent received FDA approval for the PD‑L1 IHC 22C3 pharmDx as a companion diagnostic for Keytruda in esophageal/GEJ carcinoma—supportive for continued clinical use of Keytruda where indicated. This can help sustain Keytruda demand in approved indications near-term. Agilent Receives FDA Approval for PD-L1 IHC 22C3 pharmDx
• Neutral Sentiment: Heightened investor interest and searches on Merck point to increased attention and volume as the market digests the deal and guidance; this can amplify intraday moves but is not directional on fundamentals. Investors Heavily Search Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK)
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck held an M&A investor call and provided materials/transcript — useful for detail but mainly confirms terms and rationale rather than changing the deal. Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) M&A Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts and media note potential rival interest in Terns; William Blair and others suggest the $53/shr offer may undervalue Terns’ upside, implying Merck could face a bidding contest or need to increase the price. That raises transaction risk and potential dilution/cost. Merck’s $6.7 billion Terns acquisition may face rival interest: Analyst
• Negative Sentiment: An investor‑rights law firm is investigating whether Terns shareholders are getting fair value, which can delay closing or lead to litigation/negotiation that complicates the deal timeline and integration. Terns Pharmaceuticals Investor Alert

Insider Transactions at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other news, EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 37,685 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.92, for a total value of $4,556,870.20. Following the completion of 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 transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP David Michael Williams sold 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.91, for a total transaction of $609,550.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 30,838 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,759,460.58. This trade represents a 13.95% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 320,176 shares of company stock valued at $38,281,735 over the last ninety days. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have weighed in on MRK. Guggenheim upped their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $122.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Scotiabank boosted their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “sector outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 4th. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $102.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, December 12th. Finally, Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, December 15th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $127.13.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of NYSE MRK opened at $118.90 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.30, a current ratio of 1.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89. Merck & Co., Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $73.31 and a fifty-two week high of $125.14. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $116.43 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $101.56. The firm has a market cap of $293.97 billion, a PE ratio of 16.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.27.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.01 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $16.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.19 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 44.57% and a net margin of 28.08%.Merck & Co., Inc.’s quarterly revenue was up 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.72 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.000-5.150 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 7th. Investors of record on Monday, March 16th will be issued a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 16th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.9%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio is currently 46.70%.

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.