Leo Wealth LLC Purchases 6,078 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Leo Wealth LLC increased its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 29.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 26,848 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 6,078 shares during the quarter. Leo Wealth LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $2,826,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Chemung Canal Trust Co. lifted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 21.1% in the third quarter. Chemung Canal Trust Co. now owns 76,338 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,407,000 after buying an additional 13,285 shares in the last quarter. First Pacific Financial increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 14.7% during the third quarter. First Pacific Financial now owns 47,555 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,991,000 after acquiring an additional 6,082 shares in the last quarter. Diversified Trust Co raised its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 9.6% during the third quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 207,838 shares of the company’s stock worth $17,444,000 after acquiring an additional 18,187 shares during the period. Caxton Associates LLP raised its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 23.3% during the second quarter. Caxton Associates LLP now owns 39,421 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,121,000 after acquiring an additional 7,458 shares during the period. Finally, Coldstream Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 12.7% in the 3rd quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 123,366 shares of the company’s stock valued at $10,364,000 after acquiring an additional 13,940 shares in the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Merck & Co., Inc.

In related news, 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 value 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. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Johannes Jacobus Oosthuizen sold 15,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the insider owned 21,197 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,583,278.39. The trade was a 41.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 320,176 shares of company stock worth $38,281,735. Insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Down 0.2%

Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $120.62 on Monday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $117.72 and a 200-day moving average of $103.39. Merck & Co., Inc. has a one year low of $73.31 and a one year high of $125.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 1.54 and a quick ratio of 1.30. The company has a market cap of $298.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.57, a P/E/G ratio of 2.44 and a beta of 0.26.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 business had revenue of $16.40 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.19 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $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 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

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 paid a dividend of $0.85 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 16th. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.8%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio is currently 46.70%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MRK has been the subject of a number of research reports. Guggenheim increased their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $122.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $102.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, December 12th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $135.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $116.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Zacks Research raised Merck & Co., Inc. from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $127.13.

Key Headlines Impacting Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: EU approval expands KEYTRUDA use to PD‑L1 positive, platinum‑resistant ovarian cancer — opens a new commercial indication in Europe for an established franchise, which can drive incremental revenue and utilization in a high‑unmet‑need setting. Merck Broadens Cancer And Eye Disease Pipeline As Investors Weigh Future Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Merck initiated a pivotal Phase 2b/3 trial of MK‑8748 (Tiespectus) for wet AMD — a promising ophthalmology program that, if successful, adds a non‑oncology growth vector and diversifies long‑term revenue streams. Merck Announces Initiation of Pivotal Phase 2b/3 Trial Evaluating MK-8748 (Tiespectus)
• Positive Sentiment: Positive Phase 3 CORALreef results for oral PCSK9 inhibitor (enlicitide decanoate) — if approved, an oral PCSK9 could be a major commercial opportunity in cardiovascular prevention and complement existing lipid therapies. Merck (MRK) Reports Strong Phase 3 Results for Oral PCSK9
• Positive Sentiment: Detailed Phase 2 CADENCE data for WINREVAIR released — adds evidence to a respiratory program that management can highlight to investors as part of a broader R&D pipeline story. Merck & Co. (MRK) Announces Detailed Results From the Phase 2 CADENCE Study
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck KGaA acquisition of JSR chromatography business noted in the press — this concerns Merck KGaA (a different company) and is unlikely to meaningfully affect Merck & Co.’s (MRK) near‑term fundamentals. Merck KGaA acquires JSR chromatography
• Negative Sentiment: New proposal from former President Trump to impose up to 100% tariffs on imported medicines (with carve‑outs) increases regulatory and pricing uncertainty for the sector; even with exemptions, the proposal raises near‑term headline risk and could pressure sentiment toward large pharma names like MRK until policy clarity emerges. Trump Unveils Up to 100% Tariffs on Imported Medicines With Key Exemptions
• Negative Sentiment: Sector policy debate over drug‑pricing deals continues (Lilly warns against locking pricing deals into law) — ongoing political scrutiny increases the chance of policy actions that could cap pricing or change reimbursement, a headwind for long‑term margin visibility. Lilly Pushes Back on Making Drug Price Deals Permanent

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.