MASTERINVEST Kapitalanlage GmbH Has $5.32 Million Stock Holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

MASTERINVEST Kapitalanlage GmbH trimmed its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 10.6% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 44,247 shares of the company’s stock after selling 5,225 shares during the quarter. MASTERINVEST Kapitalanlage GmbH’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $5,322,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 254,322,763 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,770,014,000 after purchasing an additional 2,185,853 shares during the period. State Street Corp raised its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 1.6% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 120,040,168 shares of the company’s stock worth $12,737,504,000 after purchasing an additional 1,859,990 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 14.8% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 86,435,458 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,098,196,000 after purchasing an additional 11,156,354 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of 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 worth $6,307,572,000 after purchasing an additional 249,110 shares during the period. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 44,946,021 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,731,018,000 after purchasing an additional 359,486 shares during the period. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: The FDA expanded approval for Merck’s Keytruda in combination with Pfizer’s Padcev for muscle-invasive bladder cancer, broadening the drug’s potential use and strengthening Keytruda’s growth outlook. FDA Expands MRK & PFE’s Keytruda-Padcev Combo Use in Bladder Cancer
• Positive Sentiment: Several Wall Street firms raised price targets on Merck, including JPMorgan, BMO Capital Markets, and Guggenheim, reflecting stronger confidence in the company’s pipeline and earnings power. Analyst price target updates
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are also watching Merck’s upcoming earnings report, with expectations centered on whether Keytruda growth and other business trends can offset pressure from patent-cliff concerns and slower mature-drug sales. Earnings preview: What to expect from Merck & Co.’s report
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck is also being discussed by traders as a potential value play and as a company facing a future Keytruda patent cliff, which keeps long-term sentiment mixed despite recent positives. Why Merck Stock Is in the Spotlight Today

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently weighed in on MRK. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $142.00 price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Cantor Fitzgerald restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $120.00 target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Monday, July 6th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. UBS Group increased their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, April 13th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $133.94.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $120.91 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $298.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.06, a PEG ratio of 3.12 and a beta of 0.19. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52-week low of $76.66 and a 52-week high of $130.29. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $119.28 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $116.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a current ratio of 1.30.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 net margin of 13.59% and a return on equity of 27.55%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $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 4.35 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th were issued a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 95.77%.

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.