EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC Purchases 4,122 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 24.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 20,918 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 4,122 shares during the quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $1,756,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC grew its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 5.2% in the 3rd quarter. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 4,983 shares of the company’s stock worth $418,000 after buying an additional 245 shares during the last quarter. Legacy Financial Advisors Inc. lifted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 19.8% during the third quarter. Legacy Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 24,672 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,071,000 after acquiring an additional 4,070 shares during the last quarter. Trajan Wealth LLC boosted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 1.6% in the third quarter. Trajan Wealth LLC now owns 56,472 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,740,000 after acquiring an additional 866 shares in the last quarter. Verus Capital Partners LLC grew its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 11.2% in the third quarter. Verus Capital Partners LLC now owns 10,317 shares of the company’s stock worth $866,000 after purchasing an additional 1,038 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sound View Wealth Advisors Group LLC grew its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 1.1% in the third quarter. Sound View Wealth Advisors Group LLC now owns 63,782 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,353,000 after purchasing an additional 693 shares during the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Positive Phase 3 SMART trial results for ENFLONSIA (clesrovimab) in infants/children under 2 — expands the potential market for Merck’s RSV product and strengthens near-term growth prospects. Merck (MRK) Announces Positive Phase 3 SMART Trial Results for ENFLONSIA (Clesrovimab)
• Positive Sentiment: New Keytruda approvals/formulations (including subcutaneous option and additional indications) broaden dosing options and indications, supporting replacement revenue as competition increases. Merck RSV And KEYTRUDA Updates Refocus Attention On Valuation And Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Merck hit an annual high inside the Russell 1000 — technical/market-strength signal that complements fundamental newsflow. Merck (NYSE:MRK) Hits Annual High in Russell 1000
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck will present at the TD Cowen 46th Annual Health Care Conference — standard investor outreach that may provide management clarity but is not an immediate earnings driver. Merck to Participate in the TD Cowen 46th Annual Health Care Conference
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage and peer-comparison pieces show Merck is a relative outperformer but Wall Street remains cautiously optimistic — supports valuation but suggests limited near-term multiple expansion without more upside news. How Is Merck & Co.’s Stock Performance Compared to Other Healthcare Stocks?
• Negative Sentiment: Keytruda patent expiry (approaching 2028) is pushing Merck to split its human-health business and create a standalone cancer unit — a defensive move that signals meaningful future revenue pressure from biosimilars/generic competition. Market reaction has been muted, but the patent cliff remains the primary long-term risk to MRK’s top-line. Merck to create separate cancer business to offset Keytruda patent loss, WSJ reports

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Up 0.2%

Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $124.11 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 1.44 and a current ratio of 1.66. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $111.65 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $96.63. The company has a market cap of $308.03 billion, a PE ratio of 17.05, a PEG ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.28. Merck & Co., Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $73.31 and a fifty-two week high of $124.84.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.01 by $0.03. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 45.22% and a net margin of 28.08%.The firm had revenue of $16.40 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $16.19 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.72 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.000-5.150 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 7th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 16th will be issued a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 16th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio is 46.70%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have recently commented on MRK shares. Wall Street Zen lowered Merck & Co., Inc. from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Sunday, February 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $92.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Bank of America raised their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, December 15th. Guggenheim boosted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $122.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Finally, TD Cowen increased their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $124.80.

Insider Transactions at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other news, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 121,573 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.15, for a total value of $14,485,422.95. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 68,916 shares in the company, valued at $8,211,341.40. This represents a 63.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP David Michael Williams sold 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.91, for a total transaction of $609,550.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 30,838 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,759,460.58. This represents a 13.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 320,176 shares of company stock valued at $38,281,735. 0.09% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.