19,470 Shares in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Purchased by Jefferson Bridge Capital LLC

Jefferson Bridge Capital LLC purchased a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund purchased 19,470 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,049,000. Merck & Co., Inc. makes up about 2.1% of Jefferson Bridge Capital LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 18th largest position.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. DLD Asset Management LP boosted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 30.1% in the 3rd quarter. DLD Asset Management LP now owns 47,500,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,986,675,000 after buying an additional 11,000,000 shares during the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc boosted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 5.9% in the 3rd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 20,659,157 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,733,923,000 after buying an additional 1,156,112 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 16.6% in the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 19,844,936 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,665,585,000 after buying an additional 2,821,766 shares during the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 20.7% in the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 15,933,909 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,336,877,000 after buying an additional 2,735,459 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nordea Investment Management AB boosted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.0% in the 3rd quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 10,945,187 shares of the company’s stock worth $876,600,000 after buying an additional 209,759 shares during the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its price target on MRK to $135 and reiterated an Overweight rating, citing upside to the stock — a strong analyst endorsement that supports higher share valuations. JPMorgan Chase & Co. Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Merck has commenced a cash tender offer to acquire Terns Pharmaceuticals, gaining early/mid‑stage oncology assets intended to shore up the pipeline ahead of upcoming patent expiries on key products — a strategically aligned M&A move that investors view as value‑accretive long term. Merck Begins Tender Offer to Acquire Terns Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
• Positive Sentiment: Fund commentary and coverage highlight Merck’s strong recent results and its appeal as a consistent dividend payer, reinforcing investor confidence in cash generation and yield support. (Includes JPMorgan’s broader endorsement noted above.) Strong Results Lifted Merck & Co (MRK) in Q4
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage pieces provide mixed context — some reiterate Merck’s defensive qualities and pipeline strength while flagging upcoming catalysts (earnings on April 30) that could swing sentiment. Analysts Offer Insights on Healthcare Companies: Merck & Company (MRK) and Agios Pharma (AGIO)
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector note: Q1 M&A activity in pharma is elevated — Merck’s deal fits a broader industry push to replenish pipelines, which is sector‑positive but increases deal execution and integration risk. Pharma, Biotech Giants Ramp Up M&A in Q1 to Boost Pipelines
• Negative Sentiment: Merck lowered its offer price for Terns after reviewing trial data, which introduces short‑term uncertainty about the deal’s perceived value and may pressure sentiment around the acquisition. Merck Lowered Terns Pharmaceuticals Offer Price After Trial Data Review
• Negative Sentiment: Merck shares showed a modest intraday decline (~1.3% in recent trade) while broader markets improved, signaling profit‑taking or headline sensitivity around the Terns deal and valuation debate. Merck (MRK) Stock Declines While Market Improves: Some Information for Investors
• Negative Sentiment: Commentary questioning whether defensive stocks like Merck are overbought may encourage short‑term selling among rotation traders despite positive fundamentals. Is It Too Late to Buy Costco or Merck? Are These Defensive Stocks Overbought?

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Johannes Jacobus Oosthuizen sold 15,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the insider directly owned 21,197 shares in the company, valued at $2,583,278.39. This represents a 41.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 37,685 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 160,174 shares in the company, valued at approximately $19,368,240.08. This represents a 19.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 320,176 shares of company stock valued at $38,281,735. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MRK has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Cantor Fitzgerald boosted their price target 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. Guggenheim increased their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $122.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. TD Cowen increased their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. UBS Group increased their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $102.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, December 12th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $127.59.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:MRK opened at $118.91 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.30, a current ratio of 1.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89. The firm has a market capitalization of $293.98 billion, a PE ratio of 16.33, a P/E/G ratio of 2.44 and a beta of 0.26. Merck & Co., Inc. has a twelve month low of $73.31 and a twelve month high of $125.14. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $118.21 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $103.93.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.04 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.01 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $16.40 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.19 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 28.08% and a return on equity of 44.57%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.72 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.000-5.150 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 7th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 16th were given a dividend of $0.85 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 16th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.9%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio is currently 46.70%.

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.