EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC Increases Holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 24.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 20,918 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 4,122 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $1,756,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Brighton Jones LLC increased its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 29.5% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 38,278 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,808,000 after acquiring an additional 8,710 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 52.2% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 11,494 shares of the company’s stock worth $910,000 after acquiring an additional 3,941 shares during the last quarter. Alexander Labrunerie & CO. Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 6.6% during the 2nd quarter. Alexander Labrunerie & CO. Inc. now owns 3,724 shares of the company’s stock worth $295,000 after purchasing an additional 230 shares during the period. Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund grew its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 17.3% during the 2nd quarter. Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund now owns 930,129 shares of the company’s stock valued at $73,629,000 after purchasing an additional 137,300 shares during the last quarter. Finally, IQ EQ FUND MANAGEMENT IRELAND Ltd grew its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 5.8% during the 2nd quarter. IQ EQ FUND MANAGEMENT IRELAND Ltd now owns 162,648 shares of the company’s stock valued at $12,875,000 after purchasing an additional 8,892 shares during the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 37,685 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.92, for a total transaction of $4,556,870.20. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 160,174 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $19,368,240.08. This trade represents a 19.05% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Robert M. Davis sold 47,434 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.04, for a total transaction of $5,599,109.36. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 443,602 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $52,362,780.08. The trade was a 9.66% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 320,176 shares of company stock worth $38,281,735 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Key Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Positive Phase 3 SMART trial results for ENFLONSIA (clesrovimab) in infants/children under 2 — expands the potential market for Merck’s RSV product and strengthens near-term growth prospects. Merck (MRK) Announces Positive Phase 3 SMART Trial Results for ENFLONSIA (Clesrovimab)
• Positive Sentiment: New Keytruda approvals/formulations (including subcutaneous option and additional indications) broaden dosing options and indications, supporting replacement revenue as competition increases. Merck RSV And KEYTRUDA Updates Refocus Attention On Valuation And Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Merck hit an annual high inside the Russell 1000 — technical/market-strength signal that complements fundamental newsflow. Merck (NYSE:MRK) Hits Annual High in Russell 1000
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck will present at the TD Cowen 46th Annual Health Care Conference — standard investor outreach that may provide management clarity but is not an immediate earnings driver. Merck to Participate in the TD Cowen 46th Annual Health Care Conference
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage and peer-comparison pieces show Merck is a relative outperformer but Wall Street remains cautiously optimistic — supports valuation but suggests limited near-term multiple expansion without more upside news. How Is Merck & Co.’s Stock Performance Compared to Other Healthcare Stocks?
• Negative Sentiment: Keytruda patent expiry (approaching 2028) is pushing Merck to split its human-health business and create a standalone cancer unit — a defensive move that signals meaningful future revenue pressure from biosimilars/generic competition. Market reaction has been muted, but the patent cliff remains the primary long-term risk to MRK’s top-line. Merck to create separate cancer business to offset Keytruda patent loss, WSJ reports

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have issued reports on MRK shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $102.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, December 12th. Cantor Fitzgerald raised their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $116.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Barclays initiated coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Friday, February 20th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Guggenheim increased their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $122.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Merck & Co., Inc. currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $124.80.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Up 0.2%

Shares of NYSE MRK opened at $124.11 on Wednesday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52-week low of $73.31 and a 52-week high of $124.84. The firm has a market capitalization of $308.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.05, a PEG ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.28. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $111.65 and a 200 day moving average price of $96.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 1.44 and a current ratio of 1.66.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.04 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.01 by $0.03. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 45.22% and a net margin of 28.08%.The company had revenue of $16.40 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.19 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.72 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc.’s quarterly revenue was up 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.000-5.150 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 7th. Investors of record on Monday, March 16th will be paid a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 16th. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.7%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio is 46.70%.

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.