First Financial Bankshares Inc Has $76.68 Million Stock Position in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

First Financial Bankshares Inc boosted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 1.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 728,519 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 7,509 shares during the period. Merck & Co., Inc. accounts for approximately 1.5% of First Financial Bankshares Inc’s portfolio, making the stock its 24th biggest position. First Financial Bankshares Inc’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $76,684,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in MRK. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter worth about $3,997,933,000. DLD Asset Management LP lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 30.1% in the third quarter. DLD Asset Management LP now owns 47,500,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,986,675,000 after buying an additional 11,000,000 shares during the last quarter. Jennison Associates LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter worth about $585,192,000. Invesco Ltd. lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 16.6% in the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 19,844,936 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,665,585,000 after buying an additional 2,821,766 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 20.7% in the third quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 15,933,909 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,336,877,000 after buying an additional 2,735,459 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

NYSE MRK opened at $120.81 on Friday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a twelve month low of $76.66 and a twelve month high of $125.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a current ratio of 1.30. The stock has a market capitalization of $298.37 billion, a PE ratio of 34.03, a P/E/G ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 0.21. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $116.59 and a 200 day simple moving average of $113.19.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($1.47) by $0.19. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 27.55% and a net margin of 13.59%.The business had revenue of $16.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $15.85 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.22 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.17 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th will be given a dividend of $0.85 per share. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s payout ratio is currently 95.77%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have weighed in on MRK. Wall Street Zen raised Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, June 6th. UBS Group boosted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, April 13th. Zacks Research raised Merck & Co., Inc. from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $145.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $128.18.

Key Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck Animal Health announced a definitive agreement to acquire TARGAN, adding a biodevice company focused on poultry performance and strengthening Merck’s animal health growth platform. Merck Animal Health to Acquire TARGAN
• Positive Sentiment: MRK regained its 50-day moving average and remains above its 200-day trendline, with articles pointing to Keytruda growth, pipeline advances, and recent deals as supporting factors. Merck Stock Moves Above 50-Day SMA: Assessing Its Investment Case
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo reiterated its Buy rating on Merck, reinforcing a constructive analyst view on the stock. Wells Fargo Keeps Their Buy Rating on Merck & Company (MRK)
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent “most searched stocks” and market commentary indicate rising investor attention, but do not point to a specific new fundamental development for MRK. Investors Heavily Search Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK): Here is What You Need to Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader healthcare-dealmaking momentum may be supportive for sector sentiment, but it is an indirect driver for Merck rather than a company-specific catalyst. Pharma and Biotech M&A Boom Accelerates as Companies Expand Pipelines
• Neutral Sentiment: Articles highlighting Merck’s recent outperformance versus its moving averages and strong Keytruda franchise are supportive, but largely reflect ongoing investor optimism rather than a new surprise. Merck Stock Moves Above 50-Day SMA: Assessing Its Investment Case
• Negative Sentiment: One market note said Merck rose but still lagged the broader market, implying investors may be favoring faster-moving names elsewhere despite MRK’s gains. Merck (MRK) Rises Yet Lags Behind Market: Some Facts Worth Knowing

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.