Allianz SE Buys 7,117 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Allianz SE grew its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 7.1% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 107,831 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 7,117 shares during the period. Allianz SE’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $11,350,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Gerber Kawasaki Wealth & Investment Management raised its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 4.6% during the fourth quarter. Gerber Kawasaki Wealth & Investment Management now owns 6,271 shares of the company’s stock valued at $660,000 after acquiring an additional 273 shares in the last quarter. Summit Financial LLC raised its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 14.6% during the fourth quarter. Summit Financial LLC now owns 137,745 shares of the company’s stock valued at $14,615,000 after acquiring an additional 17,528 shares in the last quarter. Howland Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Howland Capital Management LLC now owns 46,672 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,952,000 after acquiring an additional 371 shares in the last quarter. Circle Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 11.8% during the fourth quarter. Circle Wealth Management LLC now owns 181,376 shares of the company’s stock valued at $19,092,000 after acquiring an additional 19,145 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Quadrant Capital Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 87,645 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,226,000 after acquiring an additional 991 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MRK has been the subject of several research analyst reports. UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $142.00 price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Monday, March 30th. Citigroup began coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $125.00 price objective for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, June 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $128.18.

Trending Headlines about Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck Animal Health announced a definitive agreement to acquire TARGAN, a poultry biodevice company, which could strengthen Merck’s animal health division and broaden its technology-driven growth opportunities. Merck Animal Health to Acquire TARGAN
• Positive Sentiment: Merck saw unusually heavy call option buying, with traders purchasing 170,441 calls, a sharp jump versus normal volume that often signals bullish expectations from sophisticated investors.
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo reiterated a buy rating on Merck, while another article highlighted that Wall Street’s overall bullish view continues to keep MRK on investors’ radar.
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck has also been featured in broader market commentary and “most searched” lists, suggesting rising attention rather than a new fundamental catalyst.
• Neutral Sentiment: One article noted Merck’s recent trading uptick but said it lagged the broader market, indicating modest price strength rather than a major breakout. Merck (MRK) Rises Yet Lags Behind Market: Some Facts Worth Knowing

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of MRK opened at $119.05 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $294.04 billion, a PE ratio of 33.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 0.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.30 and a quick ratio of 1.06. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1-year low of $76.66 and a 1-year high of $125.14. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $116.55 and its 200-day moving average price is $113.23.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($1.47) by $0.19. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 13.59% and a return on equity of 27.55%. The company had revenue of $16.29 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.85 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.22 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict 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 paid a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.9%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 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.