Voya Investment Management LLC Has $57.55 Million Holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Voya Investment Management LLC lowered its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 14.3% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 685,693 shares of the company’s stock after selling 114,584 shares during the period. Voya Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $57,550,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Legend Financial Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the second quarter worth $25,000. Kilter Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 2nd quarter worth $27,000. Bare Financial Services Inc grew its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 51.9% during the second quarter. Bare Financial Services Inc now owns 366 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares during the period. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the second quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC lifted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 141.7% in the first quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 377 shares of the company’s stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 221 shares during the period. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, EVP David Michael Williams sold 8,614 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $83.59, for a total transaction of $720,044.26. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 24,578 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,054,475.02. The trade was a 25.95% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently commented on MRK shares. BMO Capital Markets raised Merck & Co., Inc. from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and upped their price target for the company from $82.00 to $130.00 in a research note on Thursday. Berenberg Bank lowered shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and cut their target price for the stock from $100.00 to $90.00 in a report on Wednesday, September 17th. Citigroup initiated coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday, October 13th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $95.00 price target on the stock. Bank of America upped their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $92.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $110.13.

Key Stores Impacting Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: FDA granted national priority vouchers for Merck’s cholesterol pill and a cancer therapy — could accelerate regulatory review and commercial timelines, improving near?term visibility for new revenue streams. US FDA grants priority vouchers to Merck’s cholesterol pill, cancer therapy
• Positive Sentiment: Major analyst bullishness: BMO upgraded MRK to Outperform and raised its $130 target (big upside), and several bullish research notes (Seeking Alpha, Zacks) reiterated the company’s deep pipeline and cash?flow strength — supports higher valuation expectations. BMO upgrade / analyst notes Merck’s Deep Pipeline And Cash Flow Strength Support The Bull Case
• Positive Sentiment: High?profile endorsement: Jim Cramer said Merck’s CEO “has a better hand,” a sentiment that can boost retail/institutional confidence in management’s ability to navigate the Keytruda patent cliff. Merck (MRK)’s CEO Has a “Better Hand,” Says Jim Cramer
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck declined to exercise an option for Evaxion’s gonorrhea vaccine candidate — removes a small potential upside but is not a material hit to Merck’s core franchises. Evaxion Seeks New Partner For Gonorrhea Vaccine After Merck Opts Out
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst commentary and routine market coverage continue (InsiderMonkey, Zacks summaries) — reflects differing views on runway beyond Keytruda. Merck Sees Mixed Analyst Views
• Negative Sentiment: Merck is among nine drugmakers that agreed to sell certain medicines at lower prices for U.S. government programs and patients in exchange for avoiding potential tariffs — immediate political/risk relief but represents incremental pricing pressure and potential revenue headwinds if broad or long?lasting. Nine pharmaceutical companies reach deals with White House to lower prices Nine of the largest pharma companies ink deals with Trump Merck Reaches Agreement With U.S. Government
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst and industry notes flag material headwinds — Keytruda loss of exclusivity, softer Gardasil sales and pricing pressure remain real risks that could weigh on long?term growth unless offset by new product launches/cost savings. Can Merck Successfully Steer Through The Upcoming Headwinds?

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Up 0.2%

NYSE:MRK opened at $100.92 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $250.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 0.29. Merck & Co., Inc. has a twelve month low of $73.31 and a twelve month high of $105.84. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $93.36 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $86.12. The company has a quick ratio of 1.44, a current ratio of 1.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $2.58 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.36 by $0.22. The business had revenue of $17.28 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $17 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 29.63% and a return on equity of 44.54%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.57 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2025 guidance at 8.930-8.980 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 8th. Investors of record on Monday, December 15th will be given a dividend of $0.85 per share. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.4%. This is a boost from Merck & Co., Inc.’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.81. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s payout ratio is currently 44.91%.

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.