Great Lakes Advisors LLC Reduces Stock Holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Great Lakes Advisors LLC lessened its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 1.1% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 1,637,843 shares of the company’s stock after selling 17,692 shares during the period. Merck & Co., Inc. makes up approximately 1.1% of Great Lakes Advisors LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 19th largest position. Great Lakes Advisors LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $137,465,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in MRK. DLD Asset Management LP acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the second quarter worth about $2,889,340,000. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the second quarter valued at approximately $2,858,570,000. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 23.5% during the 2nd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 27,032,601 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,139,901,000 after purchasing an additional 5,135,748 shares in the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership raised its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 35.5% during the 2nd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 19,456,096 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,540,145,000 after purchasing an additional 5,094,088 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 9.4% during the 2nd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 53,865,466 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,263,991,000 after purchasing an additional 4,636,183 shares during the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the company. BMO Capital Markets raised Merck & Co., Inc. from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and raised their price target for the stock from $82.00 to $130.00 in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $92.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $90.00 to $125.00 in a report on Monday, November 24th. Citigroup boosted their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $110.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Bank of America upped their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Merck & Co., Inc. presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $114.53.

Key Headlines Impacting Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck’s multi-month rally: MERK has climbed ~41% over the past six months as profits have bumped up and investor confidence returned, providing a positive backdrop for the stock. What’s Fueling The Rally In Merck Stock?
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend boost: Merck declared a $0.85 quarterly dividend (annualized yield ~3.2%), with an ex?dividend/record date in mid?March and payment in April — supports income investors and can underpin the share price. Merck Announces Second-Quarter 2026 Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst target lift: Citigroup raised its price target to $115 (still a “neutral” rating), signaling modest upside in analyst models and helping sentiment. Benzinga report on Citigroup
• Positive Sentiment: Broker interest: Recent coverage pieces note that sell?side recommendations are encouraging investors to revisit MRK, which can drive buying momentum when multiple brokers are constructive. Brokers Suggest Investing in Merck (MRK)
• Neutral Sentiment: Product/portfolio watch: Investors are shifting attention beyond Keytruda to new non?oncology launches (Capvaxive, Winrevair) and Animal Health sales — these could drive future growth but are still early-stage drivers. Merck’s Non-Oncology Drugs Q4 Performance
• Neutral Sentiment: Quality vs. visibility: TD Cowen (covered in recent media) praises Merck’s quality but flags that growth visibility matters — a cautious note that tempers bullish narratives. Merck’s quality is clear, but growth visibility matters
• Negative Sentiment: Earnings uncertainty: Wall Street previews suggest Merck may lack the right setup for an earnings beat next week, and recent quarterly results showed an EPS miss — a near?term headwind that likely explains downward pressure on the stock. Merck (MRK) Earnings Expected to Grow

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 0.9%

Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $106.94 on Thursday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1-year low of $73.31 and a 1-year high of $112.90. The company has a market capitalization of $265.42 billion, a PE ratio of 14.13, a P/E/G ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 0.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 1.66 and a quick ratio of 1.44. The business has a 50-day moving average of $104.69 and a 200-day moving average of $91.57.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $1.94 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.08 by ($0.14). Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 29.63% and a return on equity of 44.54%. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 7th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 16th will be given a dividend of $0.85 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 16th. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.2%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 44.91%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Merck & Co., Inc.

In related news, EVP David Michael Williams sold 8,614 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction on Monday, November 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $83.59, for a total value of $720,044.26. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 24,578 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,054,475.02. The trade was a 25.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

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.