LM Advisors LLC Sells 15,889 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

LM Advisors LLC reduced its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 91.3% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,512 shares of the company’s stock after selling 15,889 shares during the quarter. LM Advisors LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $159,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in MRK. Kingdom Financial Group LLC. bought a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. United Financial Planning Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 3rd quarter valued at about $31,000. High Note Wealth LLC increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 58.9% during the 4th quarter. High Note Wealth LLC now owns 294 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 109 shares during the last quarter. IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. bought a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, Gilpin Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter valued at about $32,000. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MRK has been the topic of several recent research reports. Zacks Research upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced 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 lowered Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $142.00 price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday, March 30th. Finally, UBS Group increased their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the company 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 issued a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company 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. Trading Down 1.4%

Shares of MRK stock opened at $119.05 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $294.04 billion, a PE ratio of 33.54, a P/E/G ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 0.21. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1-year low of $76.66 and a 1-year high of $125.14. The business has a 50-day moving average of $116.55 and a 200 day moving average of $113.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.30 and a quick ratio of 1.06.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last issued its earnings results 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. The company had revenue of $16.29 billion during 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 quarterly revenue was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.22 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.17 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.85 per share. 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 is currently 95.77%.

About Merck & Co., Inc.

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.