Trillium Asset Management LLC Lowers Stock Holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Trillium Asset Management LLC trimmed its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 8.6% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 96,193 shares of the company’s stock after selling 9,034 shares during the period. Trillium Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $10,247,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of MRK. Kingdom Financial Group LLC. purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. United Financial Planning Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the third quarter worth about $31,000. High Note Wealth LLC increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 58.9% in the fourth quarter. High Note Wealth LLC now owns 294 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 109 shares during the last quarter. IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. bought a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Gilpin Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter worth approximately $32,000. 76.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently weighed in on MRK. 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. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $142.00 price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday, March 30th. Citigroup began coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $125.00 price objective on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, April 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $128.18.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 1.4%

Shares of NYSE MRK opened at $119.05 on Friday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a one year low of $76.66 and a one year high of $125.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.30 and a quick ratio of 1.06. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $116.55 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $113.23. The stock has a market capitalization of $294.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.54, a PEG ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 0.21.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($1.47) by $0.19. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 13.59% and a return on equity of 27.55%. The business had revenue of $16.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $15.85 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.22 earnings per share. The business’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. As a group, analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.17 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

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

More Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck Animal Health announced a definitive agreement to acquire TARGAN, a poultry biodevice company, which could strengthen Merck’s animal health division and broaden its technology-driven growth opportunities. Merck Animal Health to Acquire TARGAN
• Positive Sentiment: Merck saw unusually heavy call option buying, with traders purchasing 170,441 calls, a sharp jump versus normal volume that often signals bullish expectations from sophisticated investors.
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo reiterated a buy rating on Merck, while another article highlighted that Wall Street’s overall bullish view continues to keep MRK on investors’ radar.
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck has also been featured in broader market commentary and “most searched” lists, suggesting rising attention rather than a new fundamental catalyst.
• Neutral Sentiment: One article noted Merck’s recent trading uptick but said it lagged the broader market, indicating modest price strength rather than a major breakout. Merck (MRK) Rises Yet Lags Behind Market: Some Facts Worth Knowing

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.