Parsons Capital Management Inc. RI Has $8.23 Million Holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Parsons Capital Management Inc. RI trimmed its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 5.1% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 98,058 shares of the company’s stock after selling 5,294 shares during the period. Parsons Capital Management Inc. RI’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $8,230,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Darwin Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 237.4% in the 3rd quarter. Darwin Wealth Management LLC now owns 307 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 216 shares during the period. Legend Financial Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the second quarter worth about $25,000. Kilter Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the second quarter worth about $27,000. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 302.3% during the third quarter. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 354 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 266 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bare Financial Services Inc raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 51.9% in the 2nd quarter. Bare Financial Services Inc now owns 366 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 125 shares during the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, EVP David Michael Williams sold 8,614 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $83.59, for a total value of $720,044.26. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 24,578 shares in the company, valued at $2,054,475.02. This represents a 25.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Five?year Phase 2b data show Merck’s KEYTRUDA combined with Moderna’s individualized mRNA vaccine (intismeran autogene / mRNA?4157) reduced the risk of recurrence or death by ~49% in high?risk melanoma after surgery — a durable, clinically meaningful result that supports further late?stage development and could materially expand Merck’s oncology franchise if confirmed. Moderna, Merck’s skin cancer vaccine shows sustained benefit after five years
• Positive Sentiment: Additional coverage and company release reinforce the same five?year efficacy signal and note ongoing Phase 2/3 studies across multiple tumor types — newsflow that could drive re?rating of MRK’s growth outlook in oncology. Moderna, Merck Report Positive Results From Cancer-Vaccine Study
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo reaffirmed its Buy rating on Merck, signaling continued analyst conviction in the stock’s longer?term fundamentals and pipeline potential. Wells Fargo Reaffirms Their Buy Rating on Merck & Company (MRK)
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry writeups and buy?and?hold pieces highlight MRK as a durable dividend and healthcare franchise pick — supportive for steady investor interest but unlikely to move the stock materially by itself. 3 “Forever Stocks” to Hold When the Market Won’t Sit Still (MRK)
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/market commentary pieces (e.g., “poised for breakout” profiles) may support momentum if follow?through comes from M&A or trial advancement, but they are opinion?based. Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) Poised for Breakout After Strategic M&A and Pipeline Expansion
• Negative Sentiment: Insider/insider?related activity: a report that Rep. Julie Johnson sold MRK shares can create short?term selling pressure or headlines; generally a limited signal for a large, diversified pharma but worth noting. Rep. Julie Johnson Sells Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Shares

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

NYSE MRK opened at $108.89 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $270.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 0.29. The company has a current ratio of 1.66, a quick ratio of 1.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $102.54 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $90.34. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1 year low of $73.31 and a 1 year high of $112.90.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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, research analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 8th. Investors of record on Monday, December 15th were issued a dividend of $0.85 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 15th. This is an increase from Merck & Co., Inc.’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.81. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.1%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio is 44.91%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have weighed in on MRK. Wolfe Research raised Merck & Co., Inc. from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $135.00 price target for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Bank of America increased their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, December 15th. Citigroup raised their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $95.00 to $110.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Merck & Co., Inc. currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $112.87.

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.