Dakota Wealth Management Buys 149,486 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Dakota Wealth Management lifted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 477.4% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 180,797 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 149,486 shares during the period. Dakota Wealth Management’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $19,038,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of MRK. Abound Wealth Management lifted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 6.8% during the 4th quarter. Abound Wealth Management now owns 1,554 shares of the company’s stock valued at $164,000 after acquiring an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. Pine Haven Investment Counsel Inc grew its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.7% in the 4th quarter. Pine Haven Investment Counsel Inc now owns 14,137 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,488,000 after acquiring an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. Lake Street Private Wealth LLC grew its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.1% in the 4th quarter. Lake Street Private Wealth LLC now owns 5,203 shares of the company’s stock worth $548,000 after acquiring an additional 109 shares in the last quarter. One Charles Private Wealth Services LLC raised its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.3% in the third quarter. One Charles Private Wealth Services LLC now owns 3,464 shares of the company’s stock valued at $291,000 after purchasing an additional 111 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fragasso Financial Advisors Inc raised its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 1.0% in the fourth quarter. Fragasso Financial Advisors Inc now owns 11,502 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,211,000 after purchasing an additional 115 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 76.07% 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 agreed to acquire Terns Pharmaceuticals for about $6.7 billion to add TERN?701, an investigational CML drug that could meaningfully strengthen Merck’s hematology/oncology lineup ahead of Keytruda’s patent cliff. Merck to Boost Oncology Pipeline With $6.7B Terns Buyout, Stock Up
• Positive Sentiment: Citi raised its price target on MRK to $125 (from $120), reflecting continued analyst recognition of Merck’s profitability and strategic M&A. Citi Raises its Price Target on Merck & Co. (MRK) to $125 from $120
• Positive Sentiment: Agilent received FDA approval for the PD?L1 IHC 22C3 pharmDx as a companion diagnostic for Keytruda in esophageal/GEJ carcinoma—supportive for continued clinical use of Keytruda where indicated. This can help sustain Keytruda demand in approved indications near-term. Agilent Receives FDA Approval for PD-L1 IHC 22C3 pharmDx
• Neutral Sentiment: Heightened investor interest and searches on Merck point to increased attention and volume as the market digests the deal and guidance; this can amplify intraday moves but is not directional on fundamentals. Investors Heavily Search Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK)
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck held an M&A investor call and provided materials/transcript — useful for detail but mainly confirms terms and rationale rather than changing the deal. Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) M&A Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts and media note potential rival interest in Terns; William Blair and others suggest the $53/shr offer may undervalue Terns’ upside, implying Merck could face a bidding contest or need to increase the price. That raises transaction risk and potential dilution/cost. Merck’s $6.7 billion Terns acquisition may face rival interest: Analyst
• Negative Sentiment: An investor?rights law firm is investigating whether Terns shareholders are getting fair value, which can delay closing or lead to litigation/negotiation that complicates the deal timeline and integration. Terns Pharmaceuticals Investor Alert

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of NYSE MRK opened at $118.90 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $116.43 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $101.56. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1-year low of $73.31 and a 1-year high of $125.14. The firm has a market cap of $293.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.27. The company has a current ratio of 1.54, a quick ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.01 by $0.03. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 44.57% and a net margin of 28.08%.The firm had revenue of $16.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.19 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.72 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.000-5.150 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 7th. Investors of record on Monday, March 16th will be paid a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.9%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 16th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s payout ratio is currently 46.70%.

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

In other news, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 121,573 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 68,916 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,211,341.40. The trade was a 63.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Johannes Jacobus Oosthuizen sold 15,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.87, for a total transaction of $1,828,050.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 21,197 shares in the company, valued at $2,583,278.39. The trade was a 41.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 320,176 shares of company stock valued at $38,281,735. Insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on MRK shares. UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Wolfe Research upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $135.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. TD Cowen lifted their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $102.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald upped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $116.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $127.13.

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.