Andra AP fonden Has $45.69 Million Stock Holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Andra AP fonden reduced its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 3.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 544,400 shares of the company’s stock after selling 17,200 shares during the period. Andra AP fonden’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $45,691,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Whalerock Point Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.5% during the 3rd quarter. Whalerock Point Partners LLC now owns 17,115 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,436,000 after acquiring an additional 425 shares in the last quarter. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership boosted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.6% during the third quarter. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership now owns 1,334,597 shares of the company’s stock valued at $112,013,000 after purchasing an additional 33,849 shares during the last quarter. Mill Creek Capital Advisors LLC boosted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 5.8% during the third quarter. Mill Creek Capital Advisors LLC now owns 8,788 shares of the company’s stock valued at $738,000 after purchasing an additional 484 shares during the last quarter. Lansing Street Advisors grew its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 5.2% in the third quarter. Lansing Street Advisors now owns 4,015 shares of the company’s stock valued at $340,000 after purchasing an additional 199 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hohimer Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 19.3% in the third quarter. Hohimer Wealth Management LLC now owns 56,579 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,749,000 after purchasing an additional 9,170 shares in the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Wolfe Research upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $135.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Zacks Research lowered shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Scotiabank lifted their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “sector outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 4th. Finally, Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, December 15th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $125.88.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE MRK opened at $119.30 on Friday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12 month low of $73.31 and a 12 month high of $125.14. The company has a market cap of $294.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.39, a P/E/G ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 0.28. The business’s 50 day moving average is $112.48 and its two-hundred day moving average is $96.97. The company has a quick ratio of 1.44, a current ratio of 1.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.01 by $0.03. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 28.08% and a return on equity of 44.57%. The business had revenue of $16.40 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.19 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.72 earnings per share. 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. On average, equities analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 7th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 16th will be issued a dividend of $0.85 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 16th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.8%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s payout ratio is presently 46.70%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other news, CMO Chirfi Guindo sold 20,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.88, for a total transaction of $2,437,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief marketing officer owned 80,615 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,825,356.20. This represents a 19.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CFO Caroline Litchfield sold 41,997 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.61, for a total value of $5,023,261.17. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 90,192 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,787,865.12. This trade represents a 31.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 320,176 shares of company stock valued at $38,281,735 in the last three months. Company insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada initiated coverage with an “outperform”/”moderate buy” and a $142 price target, highlighting analyst conviction and potential upside for MRK. Royal Bank of Canada Coverage
• Positive Sentiment: Merck announced late‑breaking Phase 3 data for the doravirine/islatravir (DOR/ISL) two‑drug HIV regimen and is in FDA review; trial results matched an established competitor (Biktarvy), supporting a potential new HIV franchise as Keytruda faces patent pressure. DOR/ISL Phase 3 Data (BusinessWire)
• Positive Sentiment: Merck Animal Health received FDA approval for NUMELVI (atinvicitinib) for control of pruritus in dogs — a product approval that diversifies revenue and strengthens the veterinary business. NUMELVI FDA Approval
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage and research pieces (Zacks, ResearchAndMarkets profile) are increasing visibility and may attract more institutional interest, but they are informational rather than immediate price catalysts. Zacks Trending Coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Articles noting retirees shifting into dividend funds could help demand for large dividend-paying pharma names like MRK over time, but this is a gradual flow rather than an immediate driver. Dividend Funds Flow
• Negative Sentiment: Retail sentiment on Reddit has cooled sharply (reported drop from bullish 63 to neutral 43), suggesting some short-term retail profit‑taking and weaker buyer interest despite the positive news flow. Reddit Sentiment Cooling

Merck & Co., Inc. Company 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.