CHICAGO TRUST Co NA Reduces Stock Holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

CHICAGO TRUST Co NA lessened its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 12.5% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 43,814 shares of the company’s stock after selling 6,268 shares during the period. Merck & Co., Inc. makes up approximately 0.8% of CHICAGO TRUST Co NA’s holdings, making the stock its 23rd largest holding. CHICAGO TRUST Co NA’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $5,270,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Kingdom Financial Group LLC. purchased a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Abound Financial LLC purchased a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Prosperity Bancshares Inc purchased a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. United Financial Planning Group LLC bought a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 3rd quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, High Note Wealth LLC increased its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 58.9% during the 4th quarter. High Note Wealth LLC now owns 294 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 109 shares during the period. 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: Bank of America raised its price target on Merck to $141 from $130 and reiterated a buy rating, citing improved upside potential. Bank of America raises Merck price target
• Positive Sentiment: Scotiabank lifted its price target to $155 from $136 and maintained an outperform rating, signaling stronger confidence in Merck’s valuation and earnings outlook. Scotiabank raises Merck price target
• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group slightly increased its FY2027 EPS estimate for Merck, reflecting modestly improved long-term earnings expectations. Erste Group EPS estimate update
• Positive Sentiment: Merck announced it will hold its second-quarter 2026 sales and earnings conference call on Aug. 4, keeping investors focused on upcoming results and guidance. Merck earnings conference call announcement
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck also hit a new 52-week high following the analyst upgrade, but the stock has since pulled back after its six-day advance, suggesting some profit-taking. Merck sets new 52-week high on analyst upgrade
• Negative Sentiment: U.S. lawmakers launched a national security probe into Merck’s clinical trial activities in China, raising concerns about data protection, oversight, and exposure to politically sensitive trial sites. Merck faces U.S. security probe over China clinical trials
• Negative Sentiment: Broader healthcare weakness also weighed on sentiment, with the sector lower late Tuesday afternoon. Healthcare stocks softer late afternoon

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 2.5%

NYSE:MRK opened at $125.30 on Thursday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $76.66 and a fifty-two week high of $130.29. The stock has a market capitalization of $309.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.29, a P/E/G ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.19. 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 company’s 50-day simple moving average is $116.71 and its 200-day simple moving average is $115.06.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($1.47) by $0.19. The firm had revenue of $16.29 billion for 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% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.22 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.19 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be issued a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s payout ratio is currently 95.77%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $145.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Citigroup assumed coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $125.00 price objective on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $142.00 price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Monday, March 30th. Finally, UBS Group upped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, April 13th. One investment 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’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $131.83.

About Merck & Co., Inc.

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.