Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Boosts Position in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans boosted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 1.2% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 2,407,392 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 27,726 shares during the quarter. Merck & Co., Inc. makes up 0.4% of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans’ portfolio, making the stock its 28th biggest holding. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans’ holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $253,412,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of MRK. United Financial Planning Group LLC purchased a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the third quarter worth $31,000. Wealth Watch Advisors INC purchased a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the third quarter worth $34,000. Dunhill Financial LLC boosted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 83.0% during the third quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 419 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 190 shares in the last quarter. Silicon Valley Capital Partners boosted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 160.5% during the third quarter. Silicon Valley Capital Partners now owns 422 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 260 shares in the last quarter. Finally, J.Safra Asset Management Corp boosted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 53.6% during the third quarter. J.Safra Asset Management Corp now owns 450 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 157 shares in the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlighted that Keytruda continues to be a major growth driver for Merck, with strong first-quarter sales and potential upside from new indications and combination therapies in 2026. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck is being discussed in a broader biotech/biopharma context, including Veeva’s upcoming summit where Merck will participate in AI and commercial strategy discussions. This is more of an industry event than a direct earnings or pipeline catalyst. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Separate commentary noted that Merck has attracted investor attention on Zacks and that recent share-price performance has been mixed, which may be keeping traders focused on valuation rather than prompting a fresh buy or sell signal. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Another market note said Merck’s short-term momentum has cooled after recent weakness, even though longer-term performance remains strong. That suggests investors are weighing the recent pullback against the company’s solid fundamentals. Article Title

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 0.2%

Shares of NYSE:MRK opened at $113.21 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52-week low of $73.31 and a 52-week high of $125.14. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $116.18 and its 200-day simple moving average is $109.19. The company has a market capitalization of $279.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.89, a P/E/G ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 0.18.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 business had revenue of $16.29 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.85 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.22 earnings per share. The business’s 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. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.16 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have commented on MRK shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, March 28th. Cantor Fitzgerald upped their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $116.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $145.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Barclays initiated coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Friday, February 20th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Friday, May 1st. One equities 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 stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $128.18.

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.