Townsquare Capital LLC Sells 10,306 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Townsquare Capital LLC decreased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 38.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 16,758 shares of the company’s stock after selling 10,306 shares during the period. Townsquare Capital LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $1,764,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MRK. Norges Bank bought a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter worth $3,997,933,000. DLD Asset Management LP increased its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 30.1% during the 3rd 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. Jennison Associates LLC bought a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter worth $585,192,000. Invesco Ltd. increased 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 buying an additional 2,821,766 shares during the period. Finally, Ameriprise Financial Inc. increased its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 20.7% during the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 15,933,909 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,336,877,000 after buying an additional 2,735,459 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo reiterated its Buy rating on Merck, adding to the recent analyst support around the stock and reinforcing confidence in the company’s long-term outlook. Wells Fargo Keeps Their Buy Rating on Merck & Company (MRK)
• Positive Sentiment: Merck and Gilead reported positive Phase III HIV data for their once-weekly islatravir/lenacapavir regimen, which could expand Merck’s infectious-disease franchise if regulatory filings proceed as planned. Gilead, Merck Report Positive Phase III HIV Study Data, End NSCLC Study
• Positive Sentiment: Merck said it is expanding its EU digital traceability efforts and exploring options to help address the emerging Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak, highlighting new commercial and public-health initiatives. Merck Expands EU Traceability Push And Targets Bundibugyo Ebola Response
• Positive Sentiment: Technical coverage noted that MRK has moved back above its 50-day moving average while staying above its 200-day trendline, with Keytruda growth and pipeline progress supporting the investment case. Merck Stock Moves Above 50-Day SMA: Assessing Its Investment Case
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck was highlighted in research roundups and conference coverage, but these items were mainly recap-oriented and did not introduce a major new catalyst. Top Research Reports for Merck, Southern Company & Lumentum Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) Presents at Goldman Sachs 47th Annual Global Healthcare Conference 2026 Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Merck and Gilead also ended a Phase III non-small-cell lung cancer study after it failed to meet its efficacy bar, which may temper enthusiasm around some of Merck’s oncology pipeline efforts. Will HIV Win and Lung Cancer Loss in Trials Recast Merck’s (MRK) Risk Reward Narrative?

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have weighed in on the company. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $145.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Weiss Ratings cut Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, June 6th. Citigroup assumed coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $125.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Barclays assumed coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Friday, February 20th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 price target on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $128.18.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 0.5%

Shares of NYSE MRK opened at $118.99 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 52 week low of $76.66 and a 52 week high of $125.14. The stock has a market capitalization of $293.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.52, a PEG ratio of 2.69 and a beta of 0.21. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $116.58 and its 200 day moving average is $113.02.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($1.47) by $0.19. The company had revenue of $16.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations 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 revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.22 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th will be paid a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.9%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) 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.