Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management Raises Stock Position in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management grew its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 19.1% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 45,169 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 7,239 shares during the period. Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $5,433,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Chesapeake Wealth Management increased its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. Chesapeake Wealth Management now owns 14,740 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,552,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares in the last quarter. South Plains Financial Inc. boosted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.6% during the fourth quarter. South Plains Financial Inc. now owns 15,535 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,635,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. Syverson Strege & Co boosted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.2% during the fourth quarter. Syverson Strege & Co now owns 4,142 shares of the company’s stock worth $436,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares in the last quarter. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV grew its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.4% in the first quarter. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV now owns 23,433 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,819,000 after purchasing an additional 91 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Westside Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.1% in the fourth quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,142 shares of the company’s stock valued at $331,000 after purchasing an additional 93 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 2.5%

MRK stock opened at $120.91 on Wednesday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $119.28 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $116.60. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $298.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.06, a PEG ratio of 3.12 and a beta of 0.19. Merck & Co., Inc. has a one year low of $76.66 and a one year high of $130.29.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($1.47) by $0.19. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 27.55% and a net margin of 13.59%.The company had revenue of $16.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.85 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.22 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 4.35 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th were given a dividend of $0.85 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.8%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio is 95.77%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on MRK shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $142.00 price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $112.00 to $113.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Sunday. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Merck & Co., Inc. has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $133.94.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: The FDA expanded approval for Merck’s Keytruda in combination with Pfizer’s Padcev for muscle-invasive bladder cancer, broadening the drug’s potential use and strengthening Keytruda’s growth outlook. FDA Expands MRK & PFE’s Keytruda-Padcev Combo Use in Bladder Cancer
• Positive Sentiment: Several Wall Street firms raised price targets on Merck, including JPMorgan, BMO Capital Markets, and Guggenheim, reflecting stronger confidence in the company’s pipeline and earnings power. Analyst price target updates
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are also watching Merck’s upcoming earnings report, with expectations centered on whether Keytruda growth and other business trends can offset pressure from patent-cliff concerns and slower mature-drug sales. Earnings preview: What to expect from Merck & Co.’s report
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck is also being discussed by traders as a potential value play and as a company facing a future Keytruda patent cliff, which keeps long-term sentiment mixed despite recent positives. Why Merck Stock Is in the Spotlight Today

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.