Worth Asset Management LLC Acquires 5,340 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Worth Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 97.1% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 10,837 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 5,340 shares during the quarter. Worth Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $1,304,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in MRK. Kingdom Financial Group LLC. bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Abound Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Prosperity Bancshares Inc bought a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. United Financial Planning Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the third quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, High Note Wealth LLC boosted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 58.9% during the fourth quarter. High Note Wealth LLC now owns 294 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 109 shares during the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck said tulisokibart met its primary and key secondary endpoints in the Phase 3 ATLAS-UC induction study for moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis, strengthening confidence in a potentially important new immunology asset. Merck’s Anti-TL1A Antibody Meets Goal in Ulcerative Colitis Study
• Positive Sentiment: The tulisokibart result adds to Merck’s recent pipeline momentum and gives investors another potential growth driver as the company looks to diversify sales away from Keytruda over time. Merck’s bowel disease drug meets main goal in late-stage trial
• Positive Sentiment: Merck also recently won FDA expansion approvals for KEYTRUDA/KEYTRUDA QLEX with WELIREG in kidney cancer and for CAPVAXIVE in higher-risk children and adolescents, reinforcing near-term commercial strength across multiple franchises. Merck (MRK) Wins FDA Expansions, Posts HIV Data, And Ends Lung Cancer Trial

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $119.71 on Wednesday. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $115.76 and its 200 day simple moving average is $113.91. The firm has a market capitalization of $295.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.21. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12 month low of $76.66 and a 12 month high of $125.14. 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. (NYSE:MRK) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($1.47) by $0.19. The business had revenue of $16.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $15.85 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 27.55% and a net margin of 13.59%.The business’s revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.22 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.17 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Investors 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 2.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s payout ratio is 95.77%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Citigroup started coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $125.00 price target for the company. Zacks Research raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, April 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, April 6th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target 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. One research 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 company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $128.18.

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.