Sivia Capital Partners LLC Raises Stock Holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Sivia Capital Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 40.9% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 22,993 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 6,669 shares during the quarter. Merck & Co., Inc. accounts for approximately 0.5% of Sivia Capital Partners LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 26th largest position. Sivia Capital Partners LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $2,420,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. D.A. Davidson & CO. lifted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 4.4% in the 4th quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 576,959 shares of the company’s stock worth $60,731,000 after buying an additional 24,576 shares during the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 48.9% in the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 97,818 shares of the company’s stock worth $10,296,000 after buying an additional 32,114 shares during the last quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 12.7% in the 3rd quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 123,366 shares of the company’s stock worth $10,364,000 after buying an additional 13,940 shares during the last quarter. NEOS Investment Management LLC lifted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 39.9% in the 3rd quarter. NEOS Investment Management LLC now owns 347,684 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,181,000 after buying an additional 99,074 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Campbell Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $1,866,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

Shares of MRK stock opened at $114.92 on Thursday. 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 fifty-two week low of $76.66 and a fifty-two week high of $125.14. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $116.44 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $112.13. The company has a market capitalization of $283.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.37, a PEG ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.21.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share 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 firm had revenue of $16.29 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.85 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.22 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. Analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.16 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed 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. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.0%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s payout ratio is presently 95.77%.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts have been raising Merck price targets, with some moving estimates from $135 to $150, as optimism builds around pipeline assets such as Sac TMT and TERN-701. This suggests Wall Street sees more upside if key trials and deal terms develop favorably. How Recent Pipeline Bets Are Rewriting the Story for Merck (MRK)
• Positive Sentiment: Merck received FDA breakthrough therapy designation for calderasib, a potential sign of regulatory momentum for one of its pipeline programs. That kind of update can support sentiment by improving the odds of future commercialization. Merck & Co. (MRK) Announces FDA’s Grant of Breakthrough Therapy Designation for Calderasib
• Positive Sentiment: Merck continues to highlight its oncology strategy and clinical pipeline at ASCO and other healthcare conferences, which keeps investors focused on longer-term growth opportunities beyond Keytruda. Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) Presents at American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting 2026 – Slideshow
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck also announced a quarterly dividend and participated in investor-conference coverage, both of which reinforce its stable income profile and keep the company in focus, but are not major near-term catalysts. Merck & Co. (MRK) Announces Quarterly Dividend Merck to Participate in the Goldman Sachs 47th Annual Global Healthcare Conference
• Negative Sentiment: Some articles compare Merck unfavorably with peers or suggest the stock may not be the top biotech winner this year, which can weigh on sentiment if investors rotate toward faster-growing names. Meet the Biotech Stock That’s Trouncing Lilly, Merck, and Pfizer in 2026
• Negative Sentiment: Merck’s recent notes offering may strengthen its capital structure, but debt issuance can also remind investors of balance-sheet leverage and financing needs. Merck (MRK) Strengthens Capital Structure With Notes Offering

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently weighed in on MRK shares. Citigroup started coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $125.00 target price for the company. Zacks Research upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. Weiss Ratings downgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. UBS Group boosted their target price 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. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $142.00 target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday, March 30th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $128.18.

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.