Viking Fund Management LLC Has $8.39 Million Position in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Viking Fund Management LLC raised its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 23.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 100,000 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 19,000 shares during the quarter. Viking Fund Management LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $8,393,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 29.5% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 38,278 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,808,000 after purchasing an additional 8,710 shares during the period. Strategies Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 1st quarter worth approximately $237,000. AlphaQuest LLC lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 65.6% during the 1st quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 19,275 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,730,000 after buying an additional 7,639 shares during the period. Sax Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 13.4% during the first quarter. Sax Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 8,399 shares of the company’s stock valued at $754,000 after acquiring an additional 993 shares during the period. Finally, Lionshead Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 6.4% in the 1st quarter. Lionshead Wealth Management LLC now owns 5,686 shares of the company’s stock worth $515,000 after purchasing an additional 344 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: FDA granted national priority vouchers for Merck’s cholesterol pill and a cancer therapy — could accelerate regulatory review and commercial timelines, improving near‑term visibility for new revenue streams. US FDA grants priority vouchers to Merck’s cholesterol pill, cancer therapy
• Positive Sentiment: Major analyst bullishness: BMO upgraded MRK to Outperform and raised its $130 target (big upside), and several bullish research notes (Seeking Alpha, Zacks) reiterated the company’s deep pipeline and cash‑flow strength — supports higher valuation expectations. BMO upgrade / analyst notes Merck’s Deep Pipeline And Cash Flow Strength Support The Bull Case
• Positive Sentiment: High‑profile endorsement: Jim Cramer said Merck’s CEO “has a better hand,” a sentiment that can boost retail/institutional confidence in management’s ability to navigate the Keytruda patent cliff. Merck (MRK)’s CEO Has a “Better Hand,” Says Jim Cramer
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck declined to exercise an option for Evaxion’s gonorrhea vaccine candidate — removes a small potential upside but is not a material hit to Merck’s core franchises. Evaxion Seeks New Partner For Gonorrhea Vaccine After Merck Opts Out
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst commentary and routine market coverage continue (InsiderMonkey, Zacks summaries) — reflects differing views on runway beyond Keytruda. Merck Sees Mixed Analyst Views
• Negative Sentiment: Merck is among nine drugmakers that agreed to sell certain medicines at lower prices for U.S. government programs and patients in exchange for avoiding potential tariffs — immediate political/risk relief but represents incremental pricing pressure and potential revenue headwinds if broad or long‑lasting. Nine pharmaceutical companies reach deals with White House to lower prices Nine of the largest pharma companies ink deals with Trump Merck Reaches Agreement With U.S. Government
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst and industry notes flag material headwinds — Keytruda loss of exclusivity, softer Gardasil sales and pricing pressure remain real risks that could weigh on long‑term growth unless offset by new product launches/cost savings. Can Merck Successfully Steer Through The Upcoming Headwinds?

Insider Transactions at Merck & Co., Inc.

In related news, EVP David Michael Williams sold 8,614 shares of the 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 24,578 shares in the company, valued at $2,054,475.02. This represents a 25.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently commented on MRK. BMO Capital Markets upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and increased their price target for the stock from $82.00 to $130.00 in a research report on Thursday. Scotiabank increased their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “sector outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, December 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $92.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 2nd. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, November 8th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $102.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, December 12th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $110.13.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Up 0.2%

Shares of NYSE MRK opened at $100.92 on Friday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1 year low of $73.31 and a 1 year high of $105.84. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $93.36 and its 200-day moving average is $86.18. The company has a current ratio of 1.66, a quick ratio of 1.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. The firm has a market capitalization of $250.49 billion, a PE ratio of 13.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 0.29.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The company reported $1.94 earnings per share for the quarter. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 29.63% and a return on equity of 44.54%. Equities analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 8th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 15th will be paid a $0.85 dividend. This is an increase from Merck & Co., Inc.’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.81. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s payout ratio is currently 44.91%.

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.