Bank Pictet & Cie Europe AG Lowers Stake in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Bank Pictet & Cie Europe AG reduced its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 27.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 254,135 shares of the company’s stock after selling 95,157 shares during the quarter. Bank Pictet & Cie Europe AG’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $26,750,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of MRK. Abound Wealth Management lifted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 6.8% during the 4th quarter. Abound Wealth Management now owns 1,554 shares of the company’s stock valued at $164,000 after buying an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. Pine Haven Investment Counsel Inc boosted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.7% in the 4th quarter. Pine Haven Investment Counsel Inc now owns 14,137 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,488,000 after buying an additional 105 shares during the period. Lake Street Private Wealth LLC increased its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.1% in the 4th quarter. Lake Street Private Wealth LLC now owns 5,203 shares of the company’s stock worth $548,000 after buying an additional 109 shares in the last quarter. One Charles Private Wealth Services LLC increased its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.3% in the 3rd quarter. One Charles Private Wealth Services LLC now owns 3,464 shares of the company’s stock worth $291,000 after buying an additional 111 shares in the last quarter. Finally, One Plus One Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 4.4% during the fourth quarter. One Plus One Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,611 shares of the company’s stock valued at $275,000 after acquiring an additional 111 shares during the period. 76.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Completed acquisition of JSR Life Sciences’ chromatography business broadens Merck’s downstream purification portfolio with next‑generation Protein A chromatography, improving its biomanufacturing offering and positioning it to capture more upstream/downstream spend from biologics manufacturers. Merck Completes Acquisition of JSR Life Sciences’ Chromatography Business
• Positive Sentiment: New R&D collaboration with Infinimmune could deliver up to ~$838M in milestones to Merck as it funds discovery of immune cell‑directed antibodies — expands early‑stage pipeline and de‑risks future biologics launches. Infinimmune, Merck enter into antibody discovery pact
• Positive Sentiment: Merck’s recent acquisitions and the Terns buy (noted in coverage) signal management’s push to bolster oncology revenue streams — a strategic move that supports longer‑term growth and margin expansion. Merck Just Made a Big Bet on a New Cancer Growth Engine
• Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada issued an Outperform rating on MRK, which can draw buying interest from institutional investors and supports the stock’s momentum. Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Earns Outperform Rating from Royal Bank Of Canada
• Positive Sentiment: Latest quarterly results showed an EPS beat and raised FY‑2026 EPS guidance (5.000–5.150), supporting the view that core operations and margins remain healthy. Merck & Co., Inc. Stock/Results Summary
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces highlighting Merck as an “affordable” dividend/defensive stock and inclusion in lists of defensive names may increase retail interest but are unlikely to move fundamentals materially. Why is Merck & Co. (MRK) One of the Best Affordable Stocks to Buy With Good Earnings Growth?
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage noting an expanded collaboration between Tempus AI and Merck highlights partnerships in data/AI, but the near‑term revenue impact for Merck is unclear. Assessing Tempus AI (TEM) Valuation After ALERT Cardiology Trial Results And Expanded Merck Collaboration
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro/market pieces (Barclays’ defensive picks, Blackstone fund closing) provide context for investor flows into healthcare but do not directly change Merck’s fundamentals. Barclays names top 4 defensive stocks to weather global uncertainty
• Negative Sentiment: Short‑term price churn has appeared in recent sessions (some intraday dips and lagging vs. the broader market on certain days), reflecting market volatility and rotation risk that could cap near‑term upside. Merck (MRK) Dips More Than Broader Market: What You Should Know

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

In other news, insider Johannes Jacobus Oosthuizen sold 15,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.87, for a total transaction of $1,828,050.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 21,197 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,583,278.39. This represents a 41.44% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 37,685 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly 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 ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 320,176 shares of company stock worth $38,281,735. Company insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Up 0.6%

Shares of MRK stock opened at $121.06 on Thursday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12-month low of $73.31 and a 12-month high of $125.14. The company has a current ratio of 1.54, a quick ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $117.24 and its 200-day moving average price is $102.68. The stock has a market capitalization of $299.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.33 and a beta of 0.27.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.04 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.01 by $0.03. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 44.57% 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 in the previous year, the business earned $1.72 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter 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. Equities research analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The company 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. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 16th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio is 46.70%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have recently commented on MRK. 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 research report on Thursday, January 8th. UBS Group increased their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $142.00 target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Monday. Cantor Fitzgerald boosted their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $116.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Scotiabank upped their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “sector outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $127.13.

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.