RFG Advisory LLC Trims Stock Holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

RFG Advisory LLC reduced its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 20.0% during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 20,666 shares of the company’s stock after selling 5,172 shares during the quarter. RFG Advisory LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $2,656,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of MRK. Kingdom Financial Group LLC. purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Abound Financial LLC purchased a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Prosperity Bancshares Inc purchased a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. High Note Wealth LLC increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 58.9% during the fourth quarter. High Note Wealth LLC now owns 294 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 109 shares during the period. Finally, IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Down 1.9%

NYSE MRK opened at $144.68 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $136.22 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $124.26. Merck & Co., Inc. has a twelve month low of $77.58 and a twelve month high of $156.92. The company has a quick ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 1.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. The company has a market capitalization of $356.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 115.75, a PEG ratio of 6.42 and a beta of 0.21.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.26) by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $16.61 billion during 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%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.13 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.76 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be paid a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio is currently 272.00%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Leerink Partners raised their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $127.00 to $161.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Wolfe Research upped their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $155.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 25th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, September 4th. Seventeen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $151.32.

Trending Headlines about Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised price targets: HSBC lifted its target from $150 to $172 and maintained a “buy” rating, while Guggenheim raised its target to $170. Leerink Partners also increased its target from $127 to $161 and assigned an “outperform” rating. These revisions indicate continued confidence in Merck’s earnings potential and pipeline. Guggenheim Increases Merck Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Pipeline strategy may help address Keytruda risks: Merck is pairing antibody-drug conjugates with Keytruda in women’s cancer treatments, an effort to expand its oncology franchise and offset the eventual impact of Keytruda’s patent cliff. Merck Pairs ADCs With Keytruda
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are reassessing Merck’s valuation: A comparison with Eli Lilly highlights that Merck is trading at a higher valuation despite its slower expected growth, prompting questions about whether its pipeline, cash generation and defensive characteristics justify the premium. Merck Stock Versus Eli Lilly
• Neutral Sentiment: Market attention remains elevated: Merck was among the stocks most watched by Zacks users, suggesting strong investor interest but not necessarily a change in fundamentals. Merck Investor Attention
• Negative Sentiment: Shares declined with the broader market and underperformed during the session: The trading update provided no new company-specific catalyst, leaving valuation concerns and the Keytruda patent-cliff debate as the primary pressures on the stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, EVP David Williams sold 52,847 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $128.77, for a total transaction of $6,805,108.19. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 31,716 shares in the company, valued at $4,084,069.32. This trade represents a 62.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP David Maraldo sold 18,706 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $128.72, for a total transaction of $2,407,836.32. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 18,212 shares in the company, valued at $2,344,248.64. This trade represents a 50.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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. Company insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Profile

Merck & Co, Inc is a global healthcare company that develops, manufactures, and markets prescription medicines, vaccines, and animal-health products. The company serves patients, healthcare providers, and customers in markets worldwide through its Human Health and Animal Health businesses.

Merck’s pharmaceutical portfolio includes oncology, infectious disease, cardiology, immunology, and other therapeutic areas. Its products include Keytruda, an immunotherapy used to treat various cancers; Gardasil, a vaccine that helps protect against human papillomavirus (HPV); and Januvia, a treatment for type 2 diabetes.