Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund Cuts Stock Holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund decreased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 4.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 934,119 shares of the company’s stock after selling 41,760 shares during the quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $98,325,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in MRK. Huber Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 65.4% in the fourth quarter. Huber Capital Management LLC now owns 25,293 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,662,000 after purchasing an additional 10,000 shares during the last quarter. Icon Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 8.5% in the 4th quarter. Icon Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 15,456 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,569,000 after purchasing an additional 1,211 shares during the period. Hudson Portfolio Management LLC grew its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 6.1% in the 4th quarter. Hudson Portfolio Management LLC now owns 2,961 shares of the company’s stock worth $312,000 after purchasing an additional 170 shares during the period. Intrepid Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter worth approximately $215,000. Finally, Cornerstone Financial Management LLC bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter worth approximately $82,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 1.4%

MRK opened at $119.05 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1-year low of $76.66 and a 1-year high of $125.14. The company has a market capitalization of $294.04 billion, a PE ratio of 33.54, a PEG ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 0.21. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $116.55 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $113.23.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($1.47) by $0.19. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 13.59% and a return on equity of 27.55%. The business had revenue of $16.29 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.85 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.22 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly 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. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.17 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The firm 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. The ex-dividend date 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 presently 95.77%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have commented on MRK. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $145.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Zacks Research raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, June 6th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, April 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Merck & Co., Inc. presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $128.18.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck Animal Health announced a definitive agreement to acquire TARGAN, a poultry biodevice company, which could strengthen Merck’s animal health division and broaden its technology-driven growth opportunities. Merck Animal Health to Acquire TARGAN
• Positive Sentiment: Merck saw unusually heavy call option buying, with traders purchasing 170,441 calls, a sharp jump versus normal volume that often signals bullish expectations from sophisticated investors.
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo reiterated a buy rating on Merck, while another article highlighted that Wall Street’s overall bullish view continues to keep MRK on investors’ radar.
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck has also been featured in broader market commentary and “most searched” lists, suggesting rising attention rather than a new fundamental catalyst.
• Neutral Sentiment: One article noted Merck’s recent trading uptick but said it lagged the broader market, indicating modest price strength rather than a major breakout. Merck (MRK) Rises Yet Lags Behind Market: Some Facts Worth Knowing

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.