--- title: "Crew Capital Management Ltd Acquires 7,742 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK" type: "News" locale: "en" url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/296582210.md" description: "Crew Capital Management Ltd increased its Merck & Co. holdings by 140.5% in Q2, acquiring 7,742 shares. Other institutions like Brighton Jones and MIRAE ASSET also boosted their stakes. Conversely, EVPs Richard R. Deluca and Jennifer Zachary sold significant shares in August. Analyst sentiment remains positive, with Barclays, Morgan Stanley, and Scotiabank raising price targets and ratings, resulting in a consensus 'Moderate Buy' rating for MRK." datetime: "2026-08-21T07:37:24.000Z" locales: - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/296582210.md) - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/296582210.md) - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/296582210.md) generator: "portal-rs" --- # Crew Capital Management Ltd Acquires 7,742 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Crew Capital Management Ltd increased its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 140.5% in the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 13,251 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 7,742 shares during the period. Merck & Co., Inc. makes up about 0.9% of Crew Capital Management Ltd's holdings, making the stock its 24th biggest holding. Crew Capital Management Ltd's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $1,703,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. - Amylyx Stock: Why the Full Pipeline Story Matters Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in MRK. Brighton Jones LLC grew its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 29.5% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 38,278 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,808,000 after buying an additional 8,710 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 52.2% in the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 11,494 shares of the company's stock worth $910,000 after buying an additional 3,941 shares during the period. Diversify Advisory Services LLC lifted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 94.1% in the 2nd quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC now owns 32,256 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,590,000 after acquiring an additional 15,636 shares during the last quarter. Diversify Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 22.2% in the 2nd quarter. Diversify Wealth Management LLC now owns 38,031 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,054,000 after acquiring an additional 6,897 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 111.7% during the 2nd quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 681,128 shares of the company's stock valued at $53,918,000 after acquiring an additional 359,356 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 76.07% of the company's stock. Get **Merck & Co., Inc.** alerts: ## Insider Activity In other news, EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 11,699 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $131.63, for a total transaction of $1,539,939.37. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 110,167 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $14,501,282.21. The trade was a 9.60% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 80,315 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.46, for a total transaction of $10,718,839.90. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 45,509 shares in the company, valued at $6,073,631.14. This represents a 63.83% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders have sold 228,238 shares of company stock worth $29,977,783. 0.17% of the stock is owned by company insiders. ## Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades - Merck Just Made a Big Bet on a New Cancer Growth Engine Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Barclays raised their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Morgan Stanley raised Merck & Co., Inc. from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and increased their price objective for the company from $116.00 to $179.00 in a research note on Thursday. Scotiabank raised their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $136.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a "sector outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, Citigroup initiated coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $125.00 price target for the company. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Merck & Co., Inc. presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $142.10. **Check Out Our Latest Research Report on MRK** ## Key Stories Impacting Merck & Co., Inc. - 3 Undervalued Names Too Cheap to Ignore Here are the key news stories impacting Merck & Co., Inc. this week: - Positive Sentiment: Merck and Moderna reported that their individualized mRNA vaccine, used with Merck’s Keytruda, met the Phase 3 primary endpoint in high-risk melanoma. The combination improved recurrence-free survival and distant-metastasis-free survival compared with Keytruda alone, marking the first positive late-stage result for an mRNA cancer vaccine. The result could expand Merck’s oncology pipeline and help address the eventual loss of Keytruda exclusivity. Merck, Moderna say melanoma skin cancer vaccine meets goals in large trial - Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley upgraded MRK to overweight and raised its price target to $179 from $116, while UBS lifted its target to $175 and BMO raised its target to $170, reflecting increased confidence in the cancer-vaccine opportunity and Merck’s broader growth prospects. Merck upgraded at Morgan Stanley after cancer trial win; RBC downgrades - Neutral Sentiment: Analysts cautioned that the initial results are not a complete regulatory or commercial victory. Full data, regulatory approval expected no earlier than 2027, manufacturing execution and the therapy’s eventual pricing and market adoption remain key uncertainties. Moderna's Cancer Vaccine: Are Investors Putting The Cart Before The Horse? - Negative Sentiment: RBC downgraded MRK to sector perform and set a $150 target, arguing that the roughly $150 valuation is unusually demanding for a company facing a major Keytruda loss of exclusivity in about two years. Jefferies also moved the stock to hold, creating a valuation overhang despite the trial success. Merck’s Cancer-Vaccine Trial Results Surpassed Expectations – So, Why Did RBC Downgrade MRK Stock? - Negative Sentiment: Broader healthcare weakness and profit-taking after Merck’s sharp rally are adding pressure, while the stock’s elevated valuation leaves less room for disappointment. Sector Update: Healthcare Stocks Fall Thursday Afternoon ## Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $149.25 on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average of $127.43 and a 200 day moving average of $121.01. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52 week low of $77.58 and a 52 week high of $153.50. The company has a market cap of $368.23 billion, a PE ratio of 119.40, a P/E/G ratio of 6.56 and a beta of 0.19. The company has a quick ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 1.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.26) by $0.13. The business had revenue of $16.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $16.37 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 4.77% and a return on equity of 16.73%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.13 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.77 earnings per share for the current year. ## Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be given a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 272.00%. ## Merck & Co., Inc. Company Profile (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. ## Recommended Stories - Five stocks we like better than Merck & Co., Inc. - 3 Energy Stocks Raising Dividends as the Sector Surges - 5 Reasons the S&P 500 Could Keep Rallying Through Year-End - Walmart's Post-Earnings Drop Could Be a Buying Opportunity - The Trade Desk’s Earnings Miss Raises a Bigger Question About Its AI Future *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.* Continue following MarketBeat Add MarketBeat as your preferred source on Google to see our latest stories in your feed. Add As Preferred Source ## Should You Invest $1,000 in Merck & Co., Inc. Right Now? Before you consider Merck & 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 & Co., Inc. wasn't on the list. While Merck & Co., Inc. currently has a Moderate Buy rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys. 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