<div id="readability-page-1">Lineweaver Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Merck &amp; Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 41.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 37,863 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 11,122 shares during the period. Lineweaver Wealth Advisors LLC's holdings in Merck &amp; Co., Inc. were worth $3,178,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.<ul><li> Dividend Stocks for 2026: Where to Invest as the Market Cools</li></ul>Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Charles Schwab Trust Co grew its stake in Merck &amp; Co., Inc. by 4.6% in the third quarter. Charles Schwab Trust Co now owns 8,840 shares of the company's stock valued at $742,000 after acquiring an additional 386 shares during the period. Thomasville National Bank grew its holdings in shares of Merck &amp; Co., Inc. by 0.9% during the third quarter. Thomasville National Bank now owns 44,872 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,766,000 after buying an additional 420 shares during the last quarter. Foster Victor Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Merck &amp; Co., Inc. by 10.9% during the third quarter. Foster Victor Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 130,232 shares of the company's stock valued at $11,615,000 after buying an additional 12,779 shares during the last quarter. Stolper Co increased its position in shares of Merck &amp; Co., Inc. by 6.4% during the third quarter. Stolper Co now owns 30,282 shares of the company's stock worth $2,542,000 after acquiring an additional 1,810 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Douglas Lane &amp; Associates LLC raised its holdings in shares of Merck &amp; Co., Inc. by 3.7% in the 3rd quarter. Douglas Lane &amp; Associates LLC now owns 539,350 shares of the company's stock worth $45,268,000 after acquiring an additional 19,449 shares during the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. <div>Get Merck &amp; Co., Inc. alerts:</div><h2>Analyst Ratings Changes</h2>Several equities analysts recently weighed in on MRK shares. Bank of America raised their price target on shares of Merck &amp; Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a &#34;buy&#34; rating in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Citigroup began coverage on Merck &amp; Co., Inc. in a report on Monday, October 13th. They issued a &#34;neutral&#34; rating and a $95.00 target price on the stock. Wall Street Zen upgraded Merck &amp; Co., Inc. from a &#34;hold&#34; rating to a &#34;strong-buy&#34; rating in a report on Saturday, November 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on Merck &amp; Co., Inc. from $92.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a &#34;buy&#34; rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a &#34;hold (c)&#34; rating on shares of Merck &amp; Co., Inc. in a report on Monday, December 15th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Merck &amp; Co., Inc. currently has an average rating of &#34;Hold&#34; and a consensus price target of $110.13.<ul><li>HIMS Has Been a Roller Coaster Ride. Should Investors Hop On?</li></ul>Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on Merck &amp; Co., Inc.<h2>Merck &amp; Co., Inc. Stock Performance</h2>Shares of MRK stock opened at $100.92 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $250.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.33, a P/E/G ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 0.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 1.44 and a current ratio of 1.66. Merck &amp; Co., Inc. has a 52 week low of $73.31 and a 52 week high of $105.84. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $93.36 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $86.18. <ul><li>Why GRAIL Stock Could Be Biotech’s Next Big Breakout</li></ul>Merck &amp; Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The company reported $1.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Merck &amp; Co., Inc. had a net margin of 29.63% and a return on equity of 44.54%. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Merck &amp; Co., Inc. will post 9.01 earnings per share for the current year. <h2>Merck &amp; Co., Inc. Increases Dividend</h2>The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 8th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 15th will be given a dividend of $0.85 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 15th. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.4%. This is a boost from Merck &amp; Co., Inc.'s previous quarterly dividend of $0.81. Merck &amp; Co., Inc.'s payout ratio is currently 44.91%. <h2>Trending Headlines about Merck &amp; Co., Inc.</h2>Here are the key news stories impacting Merck &amp; Co., Inc. this week:<ul> <li>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</li> <li>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</li> <li>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</li> <li>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</li> <li>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</li> <li>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</li> <li>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?</li> </ul><h2>Insider Transactions at Merck &amp; Co., Inc.</h2>In related news, EVP David Michael Williams sold 8,614 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $83.59, for a total value of $720,044.26. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 24,578 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,054,475.02. The trade was a 25.95% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.13% of the company's stock. <h2>Merck &amp; Co., Inc. Profile</h2> (Free Report)Merck &amp; 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.<h2>See Also</h2><ul><li>Five stocks we like better than Merck &amp; Co., Inc.</li><li>Insider Trading - What You Need to Know</li><li>These 3 Banks Are Rallying Into Year-End, But Will It Continue?</li><li>What is the Shanghai Stock Exchange Composite Index?</li><li>3 Surging Stocks Just Got the Ultimate Stamp of Approval From the S&amp;P 500</li><li>Most active stocks: Dollar volume vs share volume</li><li>This ETF Caught a Major Tailwind After the Fed’s Rate Cut</li></ul><img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://www.marketbeat.com/scripts/SECFilingChart.ashx/query-UHJlZml4PU5ZU0UmU3ltYm9sPU1SSw?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" width="650" height="350" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://www.marketbeat.com/scripts/SECFilingChart.ashx/query-UHJlZml4PU5ZU0UmU3ltYm9sPU1SSw"/>This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.<h2>Should You Invest $1,000 in Merck &amp; Co., Inc. Right Now?</h2>Before you consider Merck &amp; Co., Inc., you'll want to hear this.MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and Merck &amp; Co., Inc. wasn't on the list.While Merck &amp; Co., Inc. currently has a Hold rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.View The Five Stocks Here </div>

Lineweaver Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 41.6% in Q3, holding $3.18 million in stock. Other investors also adjusted their holdings. Analysts have mixed ratings, with a consensus price target of $110.13. Merck's stock opened at $100.92, with a market cap of $250.49 billion. The company reported $1.94 EPS for the quarter.

Lineweaver Wealth Advisors LLC Has $3.18 Million Stock Holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK