Jennison Associates LLC Has $350.67 Million Stake in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Jennison Associates LLC lowered its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 56.3% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,728,958 shares of the company’s stock after selling 3,520,379 shares during the quarter. Jennison Associates LLC owned about 0.11% of Merck & Co., Inc. worth $350,671,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of MRK. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.9% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 254,322,763 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,770,014,000 after purchasing an additional 2,185,853 shares during the period. State Street Corp grew its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 1.6% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 120,040,168 shares of the company’s stock worth $12,737,504,000 after purchasing an additional 1,859,990 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 14.8% during the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 86,435,458 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,098,196,000 after purchasing an additional 11,156,354 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 60,047,984 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,307,572,000 after purchasing an additional 249,110 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 44,946,021 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,731,018,000 after purchasing an additional 359,486 shares in the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Up 12.6%

MRK stock opened at $152.21 on Thursday. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $126.86 and its 200 day simple moving average is $120.74. Merck & Co., Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $77.58 and a fifty-two week high of $153.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.32. The company has a market cap of $375.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 121.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.83 and a beta of 0.19.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.26) by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $16.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $16.37 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 16.73% and a net margin of 4.77%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.13 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.77 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be issued a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 272.00%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, EVP Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $135.00, for a total transaction of $1,350,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 36,613 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,942,755. This represents a 21.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 11,699 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $131.63, for a total transaction of $1,539,939.37. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 110,167 shares in the company, valued at $14,501,282.21. This trade represents a 9.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 228,238 shares of company stock worth $29,977,783 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on MRK shares. Weiss Ratings cut Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Citigroup began coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $125.00 price objective for the company. CICC Research initiated coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $138.00 target price on the stock. Daiwa Securities Group raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $143.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, July 20th. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $135.50.

Key Headlines Impacting Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Phase 3 melanoma success: Moderna and Merck said their individualized mRNA vaccine, intismeran, combined with Merck’s Keytruda, met the primary endpoint in a large Phase 3 trial. The combination significantly extended recurrence-free survival and reduced the risk of melanoma spreading compared with Keytruda alone. This represents the first positive late-stage result for a personalized mRNA cancer vaccine. Merck, Moderna say melanoma skin cancer vaccine meets goals in large trial
• Positive Sentiment: New growth opportunity for Keytruda: The results could expand Merck’s oncology franchise by pairing Keytruda with a mutation-targeted vaccine. The companies believe thousands of high-risk melanoma patients could eventually benefit, pending regulatory approval targeted for 2027. Similar trials are underway in lung, pancreatic, breast and other cancers. Why this mRNA cancer vaccine is raising new treatment hope
• Positive Sentiment: Strategic importance before patent expiry: A successful vaccine-Keytruda combination could help support Merck’s oncology pipeline as Keytruda’s patent protection is expected to expire later this decade. Unusually heavy call-option activity also indicated heightened bullish trading interest.
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader market support: Relief in bond markets helped lift rate-sensitive healthcare stocks generally, providing an additional supportive backdrop for Merck’s move. However, the company’s advance was primarily tied to the vaccine announcement.
• Negative Sentiment: Important uncertainties remain: The companies released topline results, while investors and analysts await complete trial data. The vaccine still requires regulatory approval, and the commercial opportunity, pricing and longer-term benefits are not yet established. Merck also faces substantial future pressure from Keytruda’s eventual loss of exclusivity.

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.