Cyndeo Wealth Partners LLC Grows Stake in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Cyndeo Wealth Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 397.2% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 120,485 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 96,254 shares during the period. Cyndeo Wealth Partners LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $10,112,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. DLD Asset Management LP bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the second quarter valued at $2,889,340,000. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 2nd quarter worth $2,858,570,000. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 23.5% in the 2nd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 27,032,601 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,139,901,000 after acquiring an additional 5,135,748 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership raised its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 35.5% in the 2nd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 19,456,096 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,540,145,000 after acquiring an additional 5,094,088 shares during the period. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 9.4% in the 2nd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 53,865,466 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,263,991,000 after acquiring an additional 4,636,183 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP David Michael Williams sold 8,614 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $83.59, for a total transaction of $720,044.26. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 24,578 shares in the company, valued at $2,054,475.02. The trade was a 25.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.13% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and increased their target price for the stock from $90.00 to $125.00 in a research report on Monday, November 24th. Citigroup began coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday, October 13th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $95.00 target price for the company. Berenberg Bank lowered Merck & Co., Inc. from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and dropped their price target for the stock from $100.00 to $90.00 in a research note on Wednesday, September 17th. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $102.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Finally, Scotiabank increased their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “sector outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, December 4th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $110.13.

More Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: FDA granted national priority vouchers for Merck’s cholesterol pill and a cancer therapy — could accelerate regulatory review and commercial timelines, improving near‑term visibility for new revenue streams. US FDA grants priority vouchers to Merck’s cholesterol pill, cancer therapy
• Positive Sentiment: Major analyst bullishness: BMO upgraded MRK to Outperform and raised its $130 target (big upside), and several bullish research notes (Seeking Alpha, Zacks) reiterated the company’s deep pipeline and cash‑flow strength — supports higher valuation expectations. BMO upgrade / analyst notes Merck’s Deep Pipeline And Cash Flow Strength Support The Bull Case
• Positive Sentiment: High‑profile endorsement: Jim Cramer said Merck’s CEO “has a better hand,” a sentiment that can boost retail/institutional confidence in management’s ability to navigate the Keytruda patent cliff. Merck (MRK)’s CEO Has a “Better Hand,” Says Jim Cramer
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck declined to exercise an option for Evaxion’s gonorrhea vaccine candidate — removes a small potential upside but is not a material hit to Merck’s core franchises. Evaxion Seeks New Partner For Gonorrhea Vaccine After Merck Opts Out
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst commentary and routine market coverage continue (InsiderMonkey, Zacks summaries) — reflects differing views on runway beyond Keytruda. Merck Sees Mixed Analyst Views
• Negative Sentiment: Merck is among nine drugmakers that agreed to sell certain medicines at lower prices for U.S. government programs and patients in exchange for avoiding potential tariffs — immediate political/risk relief but represents incremental pricing pressure and potential revenue headwinds if broad or long‑lasting. Nine pharmaceutical companies reach deals with White House to lower prices Nine of the largest pharma companies ink deals with Trump Merck Reaches Agreement With U.S. Government
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst and industry notes flag material headwinds — Keytruda loss of exclusivity, softer Gardasil sales and pricing pressure remain real risks that could weigh on long‑term growth unless offset by new product launches/cost savings. Can Merck Successfully Steer Through The Upcoming Headwinds?

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of MRK stock opened at $100.92 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $250.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.33, a P/E/G ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 0.29. Merck & Co., Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $73.31 and a fifty-two week high of $105.84. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $93.36 and its 200-day moving average price is $86.12. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 1.44 and a current ratio of 1.66.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $2.58 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.36 by $0.22. The company had revenue of $17.28 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $17 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 44.54% and a net margin of 29.63%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.57 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2025 guidance at 8.930-8.980 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 8th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 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 3.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 15th. This is a positive change from Merck & Co., Inc.’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.81. Merck & Co., Inc.’s payout ratio is presently 44.91%.

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.