Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Sold by First National Bank & Trust Co. of Newtown

First National Bank & Trust Co. of Newtown trimmed its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 15.2% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 26,178 shares of the company’s stock after selling 4,680 shares during the period. Merck & Co., Inc. comprises about 0.7% of First National Bank & Trust Co. of Newtown’s portfolio, making the stock its 26th biggest position. First National Bank & Trust Co. of Newtown’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $3,149,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Meadow Creek Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 11.0% in the first quarter. Meadow Creek Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 12,379 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,489,000 after acquiring an additional 1,229 shares during the last quarter. Main Street Research LLC increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 22.3% in the 1st quarter. Main Street Research LLC now owns 9,521 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,145,000 after purchasing an additional 1,737 shares during the last quarter. First Horizon Corp increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 38.1% in the 1st quarter. First Horizon Corp now owns 160,464 shares of the company’s stock valued at $19,302,000 after purchasing an additional 44,269 shares during the last quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 61.0% in the 1st quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 715 shares of the company’s stock valued at $87,000 after purchasing an additional 271 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mosaic Family Wealth Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 22.5% in the 1st quarter. Mosaic Family Wealth Partners LLC now owns 4,676 shares of the company’s stock valued at $562,000 after purchasing an additional 859 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 0.7%

Shares of NYSE:MRK opened at $125.17 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $118.57 and a 200-day simple moving average of $116.23. Merck & Co., Inc. has a twelve month low of $76.66 and a twelve month high of $130.29. The company has a current ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02. The company has a market capitalization of $309.14 billion, a PE ratio of 35.26, a P/E/G ratio of 2.69 and a beta of 0.19.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) 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 firm had revenue of $16.29 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.85 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.22 EPS. The company’s 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 analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.19 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th were issued a dividend of $0.85 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 15th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.7%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 95.77%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently commented on MRK shares. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $120.00 price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Monday. Wall Street Zen cut Merck & Co., Inc. from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, July 4th. Finally, CICC Research initiated coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $138.00 price objective on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Merck & Co., Inc. presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $132.72.

Key Stories Impacting Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck’s KEYTRUDA franchise got a boost from recent U.S. and EU approvals in breast and bladder cancer, expanding its use in hard-to-treat tumors and strengthening the company’s oncology growth story. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Merck also reached a new access agreement for its HIV treatment, IDVYNSO, which could modestly improve market access and commercial momentum for the product. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Several analysts remain constructive on Merck, including recent price-target increases from RBC and Wells Fargo, reflecting confidence in the company’s pipeline and KEYTRUDA-driven earnings power. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck has been attracting elevated investor attention, but the related coverage is more about monitoring the stock’s setup than a new business catalyst. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: A market report on Southeast Asia oncology drug access listed Merck among peer companies, highlighting the broader opportunity for cancer therapy access but not pointing to a company-specific development. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Morgan Stanley trimmed its price target to $113 and kept an equal-weight rating, signaling limited near-term upside from current levels and reinforcing valuation caution. Article Title

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.