Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. Has $576.08 Million Position in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 4.6% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 5,411,429 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 238,477 shares during the period. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd.’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $576,083,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 254,322,763 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,770,014,000 after acquiring an additional 2,185,853 shares during the period. DLD Asset Management LP raised its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 30.1% in the third quarter. DLD Asset Management LP now owns 47,500,000 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,986,675,000 after acquiring an additional 11,000,000 shares during the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc boosted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 5.9% in the 3rd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 20,659,157 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,733,923,000 after acquiring an additional 1,156,112 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. grew its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 16.6% during the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 19,844,936 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,665,585,000 after acquiring an additional 2,821,766 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ameriprise Financial Inc. increased its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 20.7% during the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 15,933,909 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,336,877,000 after purchasing an additional 2,735,459 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have commented on MRK. 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 Monday, March 30th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Zacks Research raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 17th. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, April 13th. Finally, Barclays began coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Friday, February 20th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 price objective for the company. One research 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 company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $128.18.

Key Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck completed the acquisition of Terns Pharmaceuticals, adding clinical-stage oncology assets to its pipeline—a near-term catalyst for growth and synergy expectations. Merck Completes Acquisition of Terns Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and commentators point to continued KEYTRUDA-driven revenue and a strong pipeline; Merck delivered its fourth straight beat, supporting the view the stock may be undervalued on a longer-term basis. Merck Stock Looks Undervalued as KEYTRUDA Growth and Pipeline Offset Near-Term Headwinds
• Positive Sentiment: High-profile media support: Jim Cramer highlighted Merck’s solid quarter and said the stock is “starting to come back,” which can boost retail demand and sentiment. Jim Cramer on Merck & Co.: “The Stock’s Starting to Come Back”
• Neutral Sentiment: Institutional commentary: recent investor letters and analyst write-ups (e.g., Baron Capital coverage) review Merck as a core healthcare holding—useful background but not an immediate catalyst. What Makes Merck & Co. (MRK) an Investment Bet?
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector news: Pfizer beat Q1 estimates but faces a looming patent cliff; competitive results and sector rotation can influence pharma multiples and investor attention, creating mixed pressure across large peers including Merck. Pfizer Beats Sales Estimates As $17 Billion Patent Cliff Looms
• Negative Sentiment: Technical/short-term risk: chart analysts warn a double-top breakdown and moving-average pressures that could produce a deeper correction, which may cap near-term upside despite fundamental positives. Merck (MRK) Price Forecast: Double Top Signals Deeper Correction Risk

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Up 0.1%

Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $113.21 on Wednesday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $117.51 and a 200 day simple moving average of $107.91. The stock has a market cap of $279.62 billion, a PE ratio of 31.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.24 and a beta of 0.18. The company has a quick ratio of 1.30, a current ratio of 1.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12 month low of $73.31 and a 12 month high of $125.14.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($1.47) by $0.19. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 26.84% and a net margin of 13.59%.The firm 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 firm posted $2.22 earnings per share. The company’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. Research analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.15 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Johannes Jacobus Oosthuizen sold 15,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.87, for a total value of $1,828,050.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 21,197 shares in the company, valued at $2,583,278.39. This trade represents a 41.44% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP David Michael Williams sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.91, for a total transaction of $609,550.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 30,838 shares in the company, valued at $3,759,460.58. This represents a 13.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 209,258 shares of company stock worth $25,101,593 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

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.