iA Global Asset Management Inc. Purchases 21,288 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

iA Global Asset Management Inc. raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 47.0% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 66,560 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 21,288 shares during the period. iA Global Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $8,007,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter worth $3,997,933,000. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 14.8% during the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 86,435,458 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,098,196,000 after buying an additional 11,156,354 shares in the last quarter. DLD Asset Management LP increased 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 worth $3,986,675,000 after acquiring an additional 11,000,000 shares during the last quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. bought a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter worth about $1,012,530,000. Finally, Jennison Associates LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter valued at about $585,192,000. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America raised its price target on Merck to $141 from $130 and reiterated a buy rating, citing improved upside potential. Bank of America raises Merck price target
• Positive Sentiment: Scotiabank lifted its price target to $155 from $136 and maintained an outperform rating, signaling stronger confidence in Merck’s valuation and earnings outlook. Scotiabank raises Merck price target
• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group slightly increased its FY2027 EPS estimate for Merck, reflecting modestly improved long-term earnings expectations. Erste Group EPS estimate update
• Positive Sentiment: Merck announced it will hold its second-quarter 2026 sales and earnings conference call on Aug. 4, keeping investors focused on upcoming results and guidance. Merck earnings conference call announcement
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck also hit a new 52-week high following the analyst upgrade, but the stock has since pulled back after its six-day advance, suggesting some profit-taking. Merck sets new 52-week high on analyst upgrade
• Negative Sentiment: U.S. lawmakers launched a national security probe into Merck’s clinical trial activities in China, raising concerns about data protection, oversight, and exposure to politically sensitive trial sites. Merck faces U.S. security probe over China clinical trials
• Negative Sentiment: Broader healthcare weakness also weighed on sentiment, with the sector lower late Tuesday afternoon. Healthcare stocks softer late afternoon

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $125.30 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $309.46 billion, a PE ratio of 35.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.19. The company has a current ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12 month low of $76.66 and a 12 month high of $130.29. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $116.71 and its 200-day moving average price is $115.06.

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, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($1.47) by $0.19. The company had revenue of $16.29 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.85 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 27.55% and a net margin of 13.59%.Merck & Co., Inc.’s quarterly revenue was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.22 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.19 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be issued a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s payout ratio is presently 95.77%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings downgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on shares of 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. Finally, Bank of America boosted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $131.83.

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.