Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC Acquires 43,047 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC grew its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 34.5% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 167,959 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 43,047 shares during the quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $14,220,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in MRK. Premier Path Wealth Partners LLC lifted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 27.6% in the 3rd quarter. Premier Path Wealth Partners LLC now owns 11,691 shares of the company’s stock valued at $981,000 after acquiring an additional 2,527 shares in the last quarter. SGL Investment Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 137.9% in the third quarter. SGL Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 8,590 shares of the company’s stock valued at $709,000 after purchasing an additional 4,979 shares in the last quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 11.1% in the third quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,049 shares of the company’s stock valued at $258,000 after purchasing an additional 305 shares in the last quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC boosted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 1.3% during the third quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 42,642 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,668,000 after buying an additional 548 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cornerstone Planning Group LLC grew its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 14.5% during the third quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 3,322 shares of the company’s stock worth $287,000 after buying an additional 420 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

More Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat — Merck reported Q4 EPS and revenue that topped estimates, driven largely by strong sales of Keytruda and recent product momentum; this supports near-term growth credibility. Merck (MRK) Q4 Earnings and Revenues Beat Estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Management commentary/earnings call — the earnings call transcript provides detail on pipeline progress and where management expects margin and revenue pressure to land in 2026; useful for gauging whether disappointing guidance is temporary or structural. Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Index/fund positioning — analysis of Merck’s role in S&P 500 funds and broader pharma exposure may influence flows but is less likely to move the stock materially than earnings/guidance. Does Merck & Co. (NYSE:MRK) Maintain Pharma Reach In S&P 500 Fund
• Negative Sentiment: Weak 2026 guidance — Merck guided 2026 revenue to $65.5–$67.0B and adjusted EPS to $5.00–$5.15, both below analyst expectations; management flagged revenue pressure from impending patent expirations (e.g., Januvia) and generic competition. That guidance cut is the primary reason the stock initially sold off. Merck forecasts 2026 sales below estimates on patent losses
• Negative Sentiment: Slower earnings growth expected as Merck increases acquisition and investment spending — coverage highlights that deal activity and near-term margin impacts may slow EPS growth even as the company pursues pipeline and strategic additions. Merck Expects Slower Earnings Growth As It Spends on Acquisitions
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction and commentary — multiple outlets note the stock dipped after the cautious outlook despite solid Q4 results; analysts and commentators are parsing how much patent losses and 2026 investments will offset Keytruda strength. Merck shares fall as 2026 guidance disappoints despite solid Q4 results

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

NYSE MRK opened at $115.87 on Wednesday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52-week low of $73.31 and a 52-week high of $118.46. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $105.66 and a 200 day simple moving average of $92.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 1.44 and a current ratio of 1.66. The company has a market capitalization of $287.58 billion, a PE ratio of 15.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.28.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.04 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.01 by $0.03. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 44.54% and a net margin of 29.63%.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 prior year, the business earned $1.72 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc.’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. On average, research analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 7th. Investors of record on Monday, March 16th will be paid a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.9%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 16th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s payout ratio is currently 44.91%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MRK has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $92.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 2nd. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday. UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and increased their price objective for the company from $90.00 to $125.00 in a research note on Monday, November 24th. Finally, Scotiabank lifted 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. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $114.53.

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.