Brighton Jones LLC Buys 20,086 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Brighton Jones LLC lifted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 38.0% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 72,969 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 20,086 shares during the quarter. Brighton Jones LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $6,124,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Little House Capital LLC grew its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 1.2% during the 2nd quarter. Little House Capital LLC now owns 25,236 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,998,000 after buying an additional 308 shares in the last quarter. Caxton Associates LLP raised its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 23.3% in the second quarter. Caxton Associates LLP now owns 39,421 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,121,000 after acquiring an additional 7,458 shares in the last quarter. MEAG MUNICH ERGO Kapitalanlagegesellschaft mbH raised its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 9.8% in the second quarter. MEAG MUNICH ERGO Kapitalanlagegesellschaft mbH now owns 888,415 shares of the company’s stock valued at $70,327,000 after acquiring an additional 79,529 shares in the last quarter. Amplius Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 117.4% in the second quarter. Amplius Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 6,165 shares of the company’s stock worth $488,000 after acquiring an additional 3,329 shares during the period. Finally, Diversified Trust Co lifted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.8% in the second quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 189,651 shares of the company’s stock worth $15,013,000 after acquiring an additional 6,930 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have commented on MRK shares. Bank of America raised their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, November 8th. Scotiabank upped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “sector outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, December 4th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Finally, Berenberg Bank downgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and cut their price target for the company from $100.00 to $90.00 in a report on Wednesday, September 17th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $110.13.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Up 0.2%

NYSE:MRK opened at $100.92 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $250.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.33, a PEG ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 0.29. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52 week low of $73.31 and a 52 week high of $105.84. The company has a quick ratio of 1.44, a current ratio of 1.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $93.36 and a 200 day moving average of $86.24.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The company reported $1.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 44.54% and a net margin of 29.63%. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 8th. Investors of record on Monday, December 15th will be given a dividend of $0.85 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 15th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.4%. This is an increase from Merck & Co., Inc.’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.81. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio is currently 44.91%.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: FDA granted national priority vouchers for Merck’s cholesterol pill and a cancer therapy — could accelerate regulatory review and commercial timelines, improving near‑term visibility for new revenue streams. US FDA grants priority vouchers to Merck’s cholesterol pill, cancer therapy
• Positive Sentiment: Major analyst bullishness: BMO upgraded MRK to Outperform and raised its $130 target (big upside), and several bullish research notes (Seeking Alpha, Zacks) reiterated the company’s deep pipeline and cash‑flow strength — supports higher valuation expectations. BMO upgrade / analyst notes Merck’s Deep Pipeline And Cash Flow Strength Support The Bull Case
• Positive Sentiment: High‑profile endorsement: Jim Cramer said Merck’s CEO “has a better hand,” a sentiment that can boost retail/institutional confidence in management’s ability to navigate the Keytruda patent cliff. Merck (MRK)’s CEO Has a “Better Hand,” Says Jim Cramer
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck declined to exercise an option for Evaxion’s gonorrhea vaccine candidate — removes a small potential upside but is not a material hit to Merck’s core franchises. Evaxion Seeks New Partner For Gonorrhea Vaccine After Merck Opts Out
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst commentary and routine market coverage continue (InsiderMonkey, Zacks summaries) — reflects differing views on runway beyond Keytruda. Merck Sees Mixed Analyst Views
• Negative Sentiment: Merck is among nine drugmakers that agreed to sell certain medicines at lower prices for U.S. government programs and patients in exchange for avoiding potential tariffs — immediate political/risk relief but represents incremental pricing pressure and potential revenue headwinds if broad or long‑lasting. Nine pharmaceutical companies reach deals with White House to lower prices Nine of the largest pharma companies ink deals with Trump Merck Reaches Agreement With U.S. Government
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst and industry notes flag material headwinds — Keytruda loss of exclusivity, softer Gardasil sales and pricing pressure remain real risks that could weigh on long‑term growth unless offset by new product launches/cost savings. Can Merck Successfully Steer Through The Upcoming Headwinds?

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, EVP David Michael Williams sold 8,614 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $83.59, for a total value of $720,044.26. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 24,578 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,054,475.02. This trade represents a 25.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

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.