Dakota Wealth Management Has $19.04 Million Holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Dakota Wealth Management increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 477.4% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 180,797 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 149,486 shares during the period. Dakota Wealth Management’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $19,038,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Darwin Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 237.4% in the 3rd quarter. Darwin Wealth Management LLC now owns 307 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 216 shares in the last quarter. Kilter Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 302.3% during the 3rd quarter. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 354 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 266 shares in the last quarter. Bare Financial Services Inc boosted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 51.9% during the 2nd quarter. Bare Financial Services Inc now owns 366 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares in the last quarter. Finally, United Financial Planning Group LLC acquired a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the third quarter worth approximately $31,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on MRK shares. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $102.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, December 12th. Royal Bank Of Canada started coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $142.00 price objective for the company. Bank of America lifted their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, December 15th. Barclays started coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Friday, February 20th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 target price on the stock. Finally, UBS Group increased their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Merck & Co., Inc. presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $127.13.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 0.4%

MRK stock opened at $118.90 on Friday. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $116.43 and its 200 day simple moving average is $101.56. The company has a market cap of $293.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 1.30 and a current ratio of 1.54. Merck & Co., Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $73.31 and a fifty-two week high of $125.14.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.04 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.01 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $16.40 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $16.19 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 44.57% and a net margin of 28.08%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.72 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.000-5.150 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 7th. Investors of record on Monday, March 16th will be given a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 16th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.9%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 46.70%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, insider Johannes Jacobus Oosthuizen sold 15,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.87, for a total transaction of $1,828,050.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 21,197 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,583,278.39. The trade was a 41.44% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP David Michael Williams sold 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 6th. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at approximately $3,759,460.58. The trade was a 13.95% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 320,176 shares of company stock worth $38,281,735 in the last ninety days. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck agreed to acquire Terns Pharmaceuticals for about $6.7 billion to add TERN‑701, an investigational CML drug that could meaningfully strengthen Merck’s hematology/oncology lineup ahead of Keytruda’s patent cliff. Merck to Boost Oncology Pipeline With $6.7B Terns Buyout, Stock Up
• Positive Sentiment: Citi raised its price target on MRK to $125 (from $120), reflecting continued analyst recognition of Merck’s profitability and strategic M&A. Citi Raises its Price Target on Merck & Co. (MRK) to $125 from $120
• Positive Sentiment: Agilent received FDA approval for the PD‑L1 IHC 22C3 pharmDx as a companion diagnostic for Keytruda in esophageal/GEJ carcinoma—supportive for continued clinical use of Keytruda where indicated. This can help sustain Keytruda demand in approved indications near-term. Agilent Receives FDA Approval for PD-L1 IHC 22C3 pharmDx
• Neutral Sentiment: Heightened investor interest and searches on Merck point to increased attention and volume as the market digests the deal and guidance; this can amplify intraday moves but is not directional on fundamentals. Investors Heavily Search Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK)
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck held an M&A investor call and provided materials/transcript — useful for detail but mainly confirms terms and rationale rather than changing the deal. Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) M&A Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts and media note potential rival interest in Terns; William Blair and others suggest the $53/shr offer may undervalue Terns’ upside, implying Merck could face a bidding contest or need to increase the price. That raises transaction risk and potential dilution/cost. Merck’s $6.7 billion Terns acquisition may face rival interest: Analyst
• Negative Sentiment: An investor‑rights law firm is investigating whether Terns shareholders are getting fair value, which can delay closing or lead to litigation/negotiation that complicates the deal timeline and integration. Terns Pharmaceuticals Investor Alert

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.