Metis Global Partners LLC Sells 4,967 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Metis Global Partners LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 3.5% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 137,671 shares of the company’s stock after selling 4,967 shares during the quarter. Metis Global Partners LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $14,491,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 254,322,763 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,770,014,000 after purchasing an additional 2,185,853 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 60,047,984 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,307,572,000 after acquiring an additional 249,110 shares during the period. DLD Asset Management LP raised its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 30.1% in the 3rd 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 period. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter valued at about $3,997,933,000. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC raised its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.3% in the 4th quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 24,873,327 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,618,166,000 after acquiring an additional 805,201 shares during the period. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 0.5%

MRK stock opened at $118.99 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02. The firm has a market capitalization of $293.89 billion, a PE ratio of 33.52, a PEG ratio of 2.69 and a beta of 0.21. Merck & Co., Inc. has a twelve month low of $76.66 and a twelve month high of $125.14. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $116.58 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $113.02.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($1.47) by $0.19. The business had revenue of $16.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.85 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 27.55% and a net margin of 13.59%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.22 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.17 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.85 per share. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s payout ratio is presently 95.77%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on MRK. Weiss Ratings cut Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $142.00 price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Monday, March 30th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $145.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 17th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average 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: Wells Fargo reiterated its Buy rating on Merck, adding to the recent analyst support around the stock and reinforcing confidence in the company’s long-term outlook. Wells Fargo Keeps Their Buy Rating on Merck & Company (MRK)
• Positive Sentiment: Merck and Gilead reported positive Phase III HIV data for their once-weekly islatravir/lenacapavir regimen, which could expand Merck’s infectious-disease franchise if regulatory filings proceed as planned. Gilead, Merck Report Positive Phase III HIV Study Data, End NSCLC Study
• Positive Sentiment: Merck said it is expanding its EU digital traceability efforts and exploring options to help address the emerging Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak, highlighting new commercial and public-health initiatives. Merck Expands EU Traceability Push And Targets Bundibugyo Ebola Response
• Positive Sentiment: Technical coverage noted that MRK has moved back above its 50-day moving average while staying above its 200-day trendline, with Keytruda growth and pipeline progress supporting the investment case. Merck Stock Moves Above 50-Day SMA: Assessing Its Investment Case
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck was highlighted in research roundups and conference coverage, but these items were mainly recap-oriented and did not introduce a major new catalyst. Top Research Reports for Merck, Southern Company & Lumentum Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) Presents at Goldman Sachs 47th Annual Global Healthcare Conference 2026 Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Merck and Gilead also ended a Phase III non-small-cell lung cancer study after it failed to meet its efficacy bar, which may temper enthusiasm around some of Merck’s oncology pipeline efforts. Will HIV Win and Lung Cancer Loss in Trials Recast Merck’s (MRK) Risk Reward Narrative?

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.