Navellier & Associates Inc. Trims Stock Position in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Navellier & Associates Inc. trimmed its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 68.0% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 2,686 shares of the company’s stock after selling 5,707 shares during the period. Navellier & Associates Inc.’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $283,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 4.6% during the fourth quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 5,411,429 shares of the company’s stock worth $576,083,000 after acquiring an additional 238,477 shares during the last quarter. AssuredPartners Investment Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 166.3% during the 4th quarter. AssuredPartners Investment Advisors LLC now owns 12,332 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,298,000 after buying an additional 7,701 shares during the last quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd increased its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 21.4% during the 4th quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd now owns 723,049 shares of the company’s stock worth $76,108,000 after buying an additional 127,608 shares during the last quarter. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 158.9% during the 4th quarter. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. now owns 6,550 shares of the company’s stock worth $689,000 after buying an additional 4,020 shares during the last quarter. Finally, McIlrath & Eck LLC increased its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.5% during the 4th quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC now owns 6,192 shares of the company’s stock worth $652,000 after buying an additional 152 shares during the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

Shares of MRK opened at $112.22 on Friday. The company’s fifty day moving average is $117.07 and its 200-day moving average is $108.31. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12 month low of $73.31 and a 12 month high of $125.14. The firm has a market cap of $277.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 0.18. The company has a quick ratio of 1.30, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($1.47) by $0.19. The business had revenue of $16.29 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.85 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 13.59% and a return on equity of 27.55%. 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 firm earned $2.22 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.16 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the company. UBS Group raised their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Zacks Research upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 17th. TD Cowen raised their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Citigroup began coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $125.00 target price for the company. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 target price for the company in a research report on Friday, February 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Merck & Co., Inc. presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $128.18.

Insider Activity

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 121,573 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.15, for a total value of $14,485,422.95. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 68,916 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,211,341.40. This trade represents a 63.82% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CMO Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.41, for a total transaction of $1,184,100.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief marketing officer owned 70,615 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,361,522.15. The trade was a 12.40% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck published a Science paper describing a scalable, enzyme-driven synthesis for its investigational oral PCSK9 inhibitor enlicitide decanoate — a notable R&D milestone that supports the commercial potential of a new oral lipid-lowering modality. Merck Scientists Publish Landmark Paper on Novel Method for Large-Scale Biocatalytic Synthesis of Investigational Oral PCSK9 Inhibitor, Enlicitide Decanoate
• Positive Sentiment: Merck’s BioReliance unit inked a five?year deal to be the sole testing provider for Genetix Biotherapeutics’ FDA?approved gene therapies — adds recurring, commercial?stage service revenue and reinforces Merck’s role in cell & gene therapy commercialization. Merck Becomes Sole Testing Provider for Genetix Biotherapeutics’ FDA-Approved Gene Therapies
• Positive Sentiment: Merck completed the Terns acquisition to expand its chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) pipeline; the deal and FDA breakthrough designation for a TERN asset strengthen oncology pipeline optionality. MSD concludes Terns acquisition to expand CML pipeline
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and brokers showed support after Merck’s Q1 beat — one analyst nudged the price target higher and BMO reiterated a buy — giving near?term fundamental backing to the stock. Analyst Raises Merck (MRK) Price Target by $1 After Beating Q1 Estimates BMO Capital Remains a Buy on Merck & Company (MRK)
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck Animal Health selected Salesforce’s Agentforce Life Sciences for omnichannel engagement — a strategic IT/customer?engagement win but with modest near?term financial impact versus drug/cell?therapy drivers. Salesforce AI Win With Merck Highlights Real World Platform Adoption
• Neutral Sentiment: Citigroup initiated coverage with a “neutral” rating and a $125 price target — supportive of upside but not a strong buy signal; highlights mixed analyst views on valuation vs. growth. Citigroup Initiates Coverage
• Negative Sentiment: Sector competitors posted robust oncology and diabetes results (J&J oncology growth; Eli Lilly’s blockbuster Mounjaro sales), underscoring competitive pressure in key therapeutic areas and possibly contributing to profit?taking and relative valuation compression for Merck. Sector Competitive Moves Darzalex, Erleada & New Drugs Keep J&J’s Oncology Engine Charged in Q1 Eli Lilly Now Has the World’s Best-Selling Drug — But Does That Make the Stock a No-Brainer Buy?

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.