SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC Has $3.91 Million Stock Position in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 46.7% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 35,988 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 11,454 shares during the period. SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $3,908,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Abound Wealth Management increased its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 6.8% in the fourth quarter. Abound Wealth Management now owns 1,554 shares of the company’s stock valued at $164,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares during the period. Pine Haven Investment Counsel Inc raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Pine Haven Investment Counsel Inc now owns 14,137 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,488,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares during the last quarter. Lake Street Private Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.1% during the 4th quarter. Lake Street Private Wealth LLC now owns 5,203 shares of the company’s stock worth $548,000 after buying an additional 109 shares during the period. One Charles Private Wealth Services LLC lifted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.3% during the 3rd quarter. One Charles Private Wealth Services LLC now owns 3,464 shares of the company’s stock worth $291,000 after buying an additional 111 shares during the period. Finally, Fragasso Financial Advisors Inc grew its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Fragasso Financial Advisors Inc now owns 11,502 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,211,000 after buying an additional 115 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Up 2.5%

Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $119.33 on Thursday. 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 stock’s 50-day moving average is $116.27 and its 200 day moving average is $101.44. The firm has a market cap of $295.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.39, a PEG ratio of 2.25 and a beta of 0.27.

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. 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.19 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.72 earnings per share. The firm’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. Equities research analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 7th. Investors of record on Monday, March 16th will be given a dividend of $0.85 per share. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 16th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s payout ratio is presently 46.70%.

Insider Activity at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other news, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 121,573 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.15, for a total transaction of $14,485,422.95. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 68,916 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,211,341.40. This represents a 63.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Robert M. Davis sold 47,434 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.04, for a total transaction of $5,599,109.36. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 443,602 shares in the company, valued at $52,362,780.08. This trade represents a 9.66% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 320,176 shares of company stock worth $38,281,735 over the last ninety days. 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: Acquisition materially bolsters Merck’s cancer pipeline by adding TERN‑701 (an allosteric BCR::ABL1 inhibitor for chronic myeloid leukemia), giving Merck a near‑term hematology asset to offset later Keytruda patent pressure. Merck to Acquire Terns Pharmaceuticals
• Positive Sentiment: Street support and incremental analyst attention: Citi recently raised its MRK price target to $125 (reflecting ongoing confidence in Merck’s pipeline / M&A strategy). This helps sentiment around MRK as management invests to offset future revenue pressures. Citi Raises Price Target on Merck
• Positive Sentiment: Separate R&D deal (Quotient collaboration) signals broader pipeline investment beyond oncology, diversifying Merck’s mid‑to‑longer term growth prospects. Quotient Therapeutics Announces Collaboration with Merck
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck held an M&A investor call and provided standard deal commentary (terms, strategic rationale, and integration plans); watch call details for guidance on synergies, timing and financing. Merck M&A Call Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader market moves (equities up, oil down) are supporting risk‑on flows today; this is a background driver but not specific to MRK fundamentals. Equities Rise, Oil Dips
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts (e.g., William Blair) and market commentary say the $53/share offer may underprice Terns given TERN‑701’s promise; they expect potential competing bidders — a bidding war or a higher takeout price would raise Merck’s acquisition cost. Health Care Roundup: Market Talk
• Negative Sentiment: A shareholder law‑firm investor alert is probing whether the $53/share price and sale process are adequate; litigation or regulatory scrutiny could delay closing or increase deal costs. Terns Investor Alert: KSF Investigates Sale
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage notes Merck’s urgency to replace revenue lost when Keytruda faces patent expiry; executing expensive M&A quickly increases integration and pipeline risk if assets don’t meet expectations. Merck Boosts Cancer Portfolio with Terns Buyout

Analyst Ratings Changes

MRK has been the subject of several recent research reports. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Bank of America upped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, December 15th. Barclays started coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Friday, February 20th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 target price for the company. Royal Bank Of Canada assumed coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $142.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Citigroup upped their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, March 20th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $127.13.

Merck & Co., Inc. 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.