Cliff Asness's MRK Position Overview
Cliff Asness (via Aqr Capital Management LLC) currently holds 10.66 M shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) worth $851.37 M, representing 0.55% of the portfolio. First purchased in 2012-Q4, this long-term strategic position has been held for 52 quarters.
Based on 13F filings since 2013, Cliff Asness has maintained a long-term strategic position in MRK, representing a significant commitment to this investment thesis. Largest addition occurred in Q4 2018, adding 5.02 M shares. Largest reduction occurred in Q3 2019, reducing 4.2 M shares.
Analysis based on 13F filings available since 2013 Q2
Cliff Asness's Merck & Co (MRK) Holding Value Over Time
Track share changes against reported price movement
Quarterly Merck & Co (MRK) Trades by Cliff Asness
| Report Date | Bought/Sold (Sh.) | % Change | Qtr. End Shares | Reported Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q4 2012 | +3.28 M | Add 0.00% | 3.28 M | $39.07 |
| Q2 2013 | +3.5 M | Add 0.00% | 3.5 M | $44.32 |
| Q3 2013 | -1.35 M | Reduce 38.53% | 2.15 M | $45.43 |
| Q4 2013 | -630,999 | Reduce 29.32% | 1.52 M | $47.76 |
| Q1 2014 | +1.5 M | Add 98.83% | 3.02 M | $54.17 |
| Q2 2014 | +541,188 | Add 17.89% | 3.57 M | $55.20 |
| Q3 2014 | +1.07 M | Add 29.97% | 4.63 M | $56.56 |
| Q4 2014 | +3.21 M | Add 69.25% | 7.84 M | $54.19 |
| Q1 2015 | +6,415 | Add 0.08% | 7.85 M | $54.85 |
| Q2 2015 | +89,748 | Add 1.14% | 7.94 M | $54.32 |
| Q3 2015 | -715,150 | Reduce 9.01% | 7.23 M | $47.13 |
| Q4 2015 | -2.41 M | Reduce 33.39% | 4.81 M | $50.40 |
| Q1 2016 | -365,015 | Reduce 7.58% | 4.45 M | $50.49 |
| Q2 2016 | +60,132 | Add 1.35% | 4.51 M | $54.97 |
| Q3 2016 | +858,818 | Add 19.05% | 5.37 M | $59.55 |
| Q4 2016 | +1.53 M | Add 28.58% | 6.9 M | $56.17 |
| Q1 2017 | +1.64 M | Add 23.72% | 8.54 M | $60.63 |
| Q2 2017 | +179,355 | Add 2.10% | 8.72 M | $61.15 |
| Q3 2017 | +3.13 M | Add 35.96% | 11.85 M | $61.10 |
| Q4 2017 | -1.56 M | Reduce 13.18% | 10.29 M | $53.69 |
| Q1 2018 | -632,371 | Reduce 6.15% | 9.66 M | $52.51 |
| Q2 2018 | -2.85 M | Reduce 29.55% | 6.8 M | $57.92 |
| Q3 2018 | +1.88 M | Add 27.67% | 8.69 M | $67.69 |
| Q4 2018 | +5.02 M | Add 57.80% | 13.71 M | $72.91 |
| Q1 2019 | -589,049 | Reduce 4.30% | 13.12 M | $79.25 |
| Q2 2019 | -1.21 M | Reduce 9.19% | 11.91 M | $80.01 |
| Q3 2019 | -4.2 M | Reduce 35.28% | 7.71 M | $80.32 |
| Q4 2019 | +340,916 | Add 4.42% | 8.05 M | $86.42 |
| Q1 2020 | +321,098 | Add 3.99% | 8.37 M | $72.26 |
| Q2 2020 | -497,236 | Reduce 5.94% | 7.87 M | $72.89 |
| Q3 2020 | -524,173 | Reduce 6.66% | 7.35 M | $78.41 |
| Q4 2020 | -251,668 | Reduce 3.42% | 7.1 M | $76.99 |
| Q1 2021 | -329,966 | Reduce 4.65% | 6.77 M | $73.15 |
| Q2 2021 | -1.86 M | Reduce 27.46% | 4.91 M | $77.34 |
| Q3 2021 | -60,654 | Reduce 1.24% | 4.85 M | $75.11 |
| Q4 2021 | -967,353 | Reduce 19.95% | 3.88 M | $76.64 |
| Q1 2022 | -275,465 | Reduce 7.10% | 3.61 M | $82.05 |
| Q2 2022 | +508,923 | Add 14.11% | 4.12 M | $91.17 |
| Q3 2022 | -188,449 | Reduce 4.58% | 3.93 M | $86.12 |
| Q4 2022 | -814,166 | Reduce 20.73% | 3.11 M | $110.79 |
| Q1 2023 | -299,967 | Reduce 9.64% | 2.81 M | $106.10 |
| Q2 2023 | +94,248 | Add 3.35% | 2.91 M | $114.15 |
| Q3 2023 | -359,583 | Reduce 12.37% | 2.55 M | $102.95 |
| Q4 2023 | -212,423 | Reduce 8.34% | 2.34 M | $108.86 |
| Q1 2024 | -96,821 | Reduce 4.15% | 2.24 M | $131.65 |
| Q2 2024 | -26,990 | Reduce 1.21% | 2.21 M | $123.80 |
| Q3 2024 | +811,759 | Add 36.71% | 3.02 M | $113.55 |
| Q4 2024 | +2.35 M | Add 77.89% | 5.38 M | $99.13 |
| Q1 2025 | +2.38 M | Add 44.26% | 7.76 M | $89.08 |
| Q2 2025 | +1.03 M | Add 13.27% | 8.79 M | $78.54 |
| Q3 2025 | +1.87 M | Add 21.29% | 10.66 M | $79.88 |
Cliff Asness's Merck & Co Investment FAQs
Cliff Asness first purchased Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) in Q4 2012, acquiring 3,278,816 shares, as reported in their 13F filing for that period. Note: Analysis reflects filings available since Q2 2013; earlier records may be incomplete.
Cliff Asness has held Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) for 52 quarters since Q4 2012.
Cliff Asness's largest addition to Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) was in Q4 2018, adding 13,706,551 shares worth $999.35 M.
According to the latest 13F filing for Q3 2025, Cliff Asness's firm, Aqr Capital Management LLC, owns 10,658,099 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK), valued at approximately $851.37 M.
As of the Q3 2025 filing, Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) represents approximately 0.55% of Cliff Asness's publicly disclosed stock portfolio, making it one of their key holdings.
Cliff Asness's peak holding in Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) was 13,706,551 shares, as reported at the end of Q4 2018.