Wesbanco Bank Inc. Sells 6,970 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

by · The Cerbat Gem

Wesbanco Bank Inc. lowered its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK – Free Report) by 2.4% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 282,430 shares of the company’s stock after selling 6,970 shares during the period. Merck & Co., Inc. accounts for 0.9% of Wesbanco Bank Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 18th largest position. Wesbanco Bank Inc.’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $33,974,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Stokes Capital Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 81.3% during the 1st quarter. Stokes Capital Advisors LLC now owns 4,098 shares of the company’s stock worth $493,000 after purchasing an additional 1,838 shares during the last quarter. Armbruster Capital Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 9.3% during the first quarter. Armbruster Capital Management Inc. now owns 4,692 shares of the company’s stock worth $564,000 after buying an additional 400 shares during the last quarter. Pacific Sage Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the first quarter worth approximately $216,000. Penbrook Management LLC acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the first quarter valued at approximately $204,000. Finally, Northeast Investment Management lifted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.9% in the first quarter. Northeast Investment Management now owns 48,692 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,857,000 after buying an additional 1,391 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have issued reports on MRK. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, June 6th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $145.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 1st. UBS Group raised their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, April 13th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and set a $142.00 target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday, March 30th. Finally, CICC Research started coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Wednesday. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $138.00 price target for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $128.72.

View Our Latest Analysis on MRK

Key Stories Impacting Merck & Co., Inc.

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

  • Positive Sentiment: Merck announced FDA approval for Keytruda and Keytruda Qlex, each combined with Gilead’s Trodelvy, as a first-line treatment for PD-L1+ advanced triple-negative breast cancer, expanding a major revenue-driving franchise. Article Title
  • Positive Sentiment: Merck also won EU approval for Keytruda plus Padcev in resectable muscle-invasive bladder cancer patients who cannot receive cisplatin chemotherapy, another label expansion that could support future sales. Article Title
  • Positive Sentiment: Merck’s collaboration with Gilead continues to generate attention after positive HIV trial results, helping reinforce confidence in the company’s research pipeline and strategic partnerships. Article Title
  • Neutral Sentiment: Merck was highlighted in CNBC’s “Final Trades,” which reflects ongoing market attention but does not by itself change the company’s fundamentals. Article Title
  • Neutral Sentiment: Zacks noted that MRK is a trending stock, suggesting elevated investor interest rather than a specific new operating development. Article Title

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Up 2.3%

Shares of MRK stock opened at $128.35 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $116.08 and a 200-day moving average of $114.33. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12-month low of $76.66 and a 12-month high of $128.78. The company has a market capitalization of $316.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.15, a P/E/G ratio of 2.82 and a beta of 0.21. The company has a quick ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($1.47) by $0.19. The company had revenue of $16.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.85 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 27.55% and a net margin of 13.59%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.22 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be given a dividend of $0.85 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s payout ratio is 95.77%.

About Merck & Co., Inc.

(Free Report)

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.

Featured Articles

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MRK? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK – Free Report).