Morningstar Investment Management LLC Has $4.45 Million Position in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Morningstar Investment Management LLC reduced its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 68.8% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 42,255 shares of the company’s stock after selling 93,011 shares during the quarter. Morningstar Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $4,448,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. Genus Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $5,837,000. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC lifted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 7.0% in the fourth quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC now owns 52,485 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,525,000 after buying an additional 3,434 shares during the period. Wealthquest Corp lifted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.1% in the fourth quarter. Wealthquest Corp now owns 17,556 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,848,000 after buying an additional 535 shares during the period. Kuhn & Co Investment Counsel acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $229,000. Finally, Prospera Financial Services Inc lifted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 6.3% in the fourth quarter. Prospera Financial Services Inc now owns 117,517 shares of the company’s stock valued at $12,377,000 after buying an additional 6,991 shares during the period. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Up 0.1%

MRK opened at $122.55 on Monday. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $115.92 and its two-hundred day moving average is $110.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a current ratio of 1.30. The firm has a market cap of $302.67 billion, a PE ratio of 34.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.18. Merck & Co., Inc. has a twelve month low of $75.40 and a twelve month high of $125.14.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 analyst estimates of $15.85 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.22 earnings per share. The firm’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. Equities research analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.16 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck and partner Sichuan Kelun-Biotech reported encouraging late-stage lung cancer data for a Keytruda combination, with the treatment beating Keytruda alone and improving confidence in Merck’s cancer pipeline. Kelun, Merck’s lung cancer combo improves survival in late-stage China trial
• Positive Sentiment: The European Medicines Agency’s CHMP issued a positive opinion for Keytruda plus Padcev as a perioperative treatment for certain bladder cancer patients, which could expand the drug pair’s commercial reach if formally approved. Merck Receives Positive EU CHMP Opinion for KEYTRUDA Plus Padcev
• Positive Sentiment: Additional coverage highlighted positive EU recommendations and trial momentum across Merck’s oncology portfolio, suggesting the company is building new growth drivers ahead of future Keytruda patent pressure. Merck stock jumps as Keytruda combo trials boost cancer pipeline
• Neutral Sentiment: Some commentary noted Gardasil sales remain weak due to soft demand in China and other markets, which is a reminder that Merck still has headwinds outside oncology. Will Weak Gardasil Sales Continue to Ail MRK’s Vaccines Sales in 2026?
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck’s recent run-up also reflects broader investor optimism after strong quarterly results and improving sentiment around its pipeline, rather than a single one-day event. Merck Stock Climbs on Cancer Data. Why the Drugmaker Is More Than a One-Trick Pony.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Friday, February 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, April 6th. Barclays assumed coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Friday, February 20th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 target price on the stock. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $145.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 1st. 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 company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $128.18.

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.