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AEGON ASSET MANAGEMENT UK Plc increased its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.0% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,299,758 shares of Merck after purchasing an additional 37,433 shares during the period.
Merck & Co., Inc. accounts for about 1.6% of AEGON ASSET MANAGEMENT UK Plc’s investment portfolio, making it the 11th biggest holding. AEGON ASSET MANAGEMENT UK Plc’s stake was valued at $136,824,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period, representing about 0.05% of Merck’s shares.
Other institutional investors also adjusted their positions. Darwin Wealth Management LLC increased its stake by 237.4% in the third quarter to 307 shares (valued at $26,000). Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC increased its stake by 302.3% to 354 shares (valued at $30,000). United Financial Planning Group LLC initiated a new position valued at $31,000, and Wealth Watch Advisors INC initiated a new position valued at $34,000. Dunhill Financial LLC increased its stake by 83.0% to 419 shares (valued at $35,000).
Institutional investors own 76.07% of Merck’s stock.
Merck shares opened at $111.83 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $276.21 billion. Valuation and risk metrics reported include a P/E ratio of 15.36, a PEG ratio of 2.31, and a beta of 0.26.
Trading averages and range figures include a 50-day simple moving average of $118.61 and a 200-day simple moving average of $106.88. Merck’s 52-week low is $73.31 and its 52-week high is $125.14.
Liquidity and leverage metrics include a quick ratio of 1.30, a current ratio of 1.54, and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89.
Merck last posted quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 3. The company reported earnings of $2.04 per share for the quarter, exceeding the consensus estimate of $2.01 by $0.03. Revenue was $16.40 billion, compared with a consensus estimate of $16.19 billion.
Merck reported a net margin of 28.08% and a return on equity of 44.57%. Quarterly revenue was up 5.0% year over year. In the prior-year quarter, Merck posted $1.72 earnings per share.
For FY 2026, Merck has set guidance of 5.000–5.150 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict 4.92 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Merck declared a quarterly dividend paid on Tuesday, April 7. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 16 received a dividend of $0.85 per share. On an annualized basis, this equates to $3.40, representing a yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 16. The dividend payout ratio is 46.70%.
In insider activity, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 121,573 shares on Monday, February 9 at an average price of $119.15, for total proceeds of $14,485,422.95. After the sale, she directly owned 68,916 shares, valued at approximately $8,211,341.40, a 63.82% decrease in her position.
CMO Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares on Monday, February 9 at an average price of $118.41, totaling $1,184,100.00. After the sale, he directly owned 70,615 shares, valued at $8,361,522.15, a 12.40% decrease in ownership.
Insiders sold 320,176 shares of company stock worth $38,281,735 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.
Merck has received multiple analyst updates. UBS Group raised its target price from $130.00 to $145.00 and reiterated a “buy” rating on Monday, April 13. Deutsche Bank upgraded the stock from “hold” to “buy” and set a $150.00 target on Friday, February 13. Wells Fargo increased its price target from $135.00 to $150.00 with an “overweight” rating on Thursday, March 12. Citigroup raised its target from $120.00 to $125.00 and maintained a “neutral” rating on Friday, March 20. Guggenheim increased its target from $122.00 to $140.00 and kept a “buy” rating on Friday, February 6.
Overall, one analyst has rated the stock as a Strong Buy, eleven have assigned Buy ratings, and seven have assigned Hold ratings. MarketBeat data cited in the article shows an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $128.47.
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