AE Wealth Management LLC Purchases 15,398 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

AE Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 6.4% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 254,988 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 15,398 shares during the period. AE Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $21,401,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MRK. Darwin Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 237.4% in the 3rd quarter. Darwin Wealth Management LLC now owns 307 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 216 shares during the period. Kilter Group LLC acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the second quarter worth approximately $27,000. Bare Financial Services Inc raised its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 51.9% in the second quarter. Bare Financial Services Inc now owns 366 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 125 shares during the period. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 302.3% in the third quarter. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 354 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 266 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Evolution Wealth Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, EVP David Michael Williams sold 8,614 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction on Monday, November 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $83.59, for a total value of $720,044.26. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 24,578 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,054,475.02. The trade was a 25.95% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.13% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Market context: Zacks highlights that Merck outperformed the broader market session even as the market dipped, signaling defensive demand and relative strength. Increased investor interest helped lift the share price. Why the Market Dipped But Merck (MRK) Gained Today
• Positive Sentiment: Rally narrative: Forbes notes a 41% six‑month surge driven by profit growth and rising investor confidence — a storyline that attracts momentum buyers and supports valuation multiples. What’s Fueling The Rally In Merck Stock?
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend: Merck declared a quarterly dividend of $0.85 (annualized yield ~3.2%), which supports income investor demand and can be a stabilizer for the stock around earnings. Dividend Declaration (source)
• Neutral Sentiment: Q4 previews and estimates: Zacks published pieces that walk through Wall Street’s top‑line and key‑metric expectations for the quarter and highlight items analysts will watch (revenue mix, margin drivers). These previews increase focus and can amplify moves post‑release but are informational until the actual print. Curious about Merck (MRK) Q4 Performance? Explore Wall Street Estimates for Key Metrics
• Neutral Sentiment: Product watch: Zacks highlights non‑oncology drugs (Capvaxive, Winrevair) and Animal Health sales as Q4 catalysts — positive outcomes could extend the rally, but these remain ahead of confirmation. Merck’s Non-Oncology Drugs Q4 Performance: What to Expect
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor interest: Zacks notes MRK is a trending/most‑searched stock, which raises volume and volatility but doesn’t by itself change fundamentals. Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) Is a Trending Stock: Facts to Know Before Betting on It
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage: Zacks and other outlets summarize broker commentary and ratings; AmericanBankingNews reports an average “Hold” from brokerages — a neutral consensus that can cap upside unless upgraded. Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Given Average Rating of “Hold” by Brokerages
• Negative Sentiment: Execution risk / near‑term earnings: recent EPS dynamics and any miss versus Wall Street (covered in previews) are the main near‑term downside risk — a weaker Q4 print or guidance could reverse the recent rally. Brokers Suggest Investing in Merck (MRK): Read This Before Placing a Bet

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $108.25 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.44, a current ratio of 1.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. The stock has a market capitalization of $268.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 0.29. Merck & Co., Inc. has a twelve month low of $73.31 and a twelve month high of $112.90. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $104.95 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $91.68.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $1.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.08 by ($0.14). Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 44.54% and a net margin of 29.63%. Analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 7th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 16th will be paid a dividend of $0.85 per share. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 16th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 44.91%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MRK has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company raised Merck & Co., Inc. from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $90.00 to $125.00 in a report on Monday, November 24th. Bank of America upped their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, December 15th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, January 17th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and upped their price target for the company from $82.00 to $130.00 in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Merck & Co., Inc. currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $114.53.

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.