OFI Invest Asset Management Sells 27,934 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

OFI Invest Asset Management cut its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 3.8% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 705,885 shares of the company’s stock after selling 27,934 shares during the period. Merck & Co., Inc. comprises 0.9% of OFI Invest Asset Management’s portfolio, making the stock its 22nd biggest position. OFI Invest Asset Management’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $74,301,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. DLD Asset Management LP raised its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 30.1% in the 3rd quarter. DLD Asset Management LP now owns 47,500,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,986,675,000 after acquiring an additional 11,000,000 shares in the last quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. raised its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 192.7% in the 3rd quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 5,496,664 shares of the company’s stock worth $461,335,000 after acquiring an additional 3,618,532 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. raised its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 16.6% in the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 19,844,936 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,665,585,000 after acquiring an additional 2,821,766 shares in the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. raised its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 20.7% in the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 15,933,909 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,336,877,000 after acquiring an additional 2,735,459 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Corient Private Wealth LLC raised its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 85.6% in the 2nd quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 4,937,948 shares of the company’s stock worth $390,896,000 after acquiring an additional 2,277,088 shares in the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Up 3.3%

Shares of MRK stock opened at $123.25 on Thursday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1-year low of $73.31 and a 1-year high of $125.14. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $118.54 and its 200 day moving average price is $104.06. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 1.54 and a quick ratio of 1.30. The company has a market cap of $304.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.44 and a beta of 0.26.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.04 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.01 by $0.03. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 44.57% and a net margin of 28.08%.The firm had revenue of $16.40 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.19 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.72 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.000-5.150 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 7th. Investors of record on Monday, March 16th were paid a dividend of $0.85 per share. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 16th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s payout ratio is 46.70%.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck launched a cash tender offer to buy Terns Pharmaceuticals, accelerating an acquisition that expands its oncology and hematology pipeline ahead of patent expiries for key products — a strategic move that can support future revenue. Merck Begins Tender Offer to Acquire Terns Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan and other analysts have raised price targets / reiterated Overweight views on MRK, signaling institutional confidence that Merck shares still have upside — a catalyst for buying interest. JPMorgan Chase & Co. Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Merck’s recent quarterly results beat estimates, revenue grew year-over-year and the company set FY2026 EPS guidance — underpinning valuation and investor confidence in near-term fundamentals. Strong Results Lifted Merck & Co (MRK) in Q4
• Positive Sentiment: Merck is highlighted among consistent dividend stocks, which can attract income-focused and defensive investors amid market uncertainty. Is Merck & Co. (MRK) One of the Best Consistent Dividend Stocks to Buy Right Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck lowered its offer price for Terns after reviewing trial data, a detail that changes deal economics and signals the firm is calibrating cost vs. risk — ambiguous for MRK shareholders (lower cash outlay vs. potential pipeline concerns). Merck Lowered Terns Pharmaceuticals Offer Price After Trial Data Review
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces are reassessing Merck’s valuation after strong price momentum; momentum supports higher multiples, but some analysts flag S&P 500 reweighting and valuation headwinds. Assessing Merck (MRK) Valuation After Strong Recent Share Price Momentum
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysis explains the Terns deal’s role in Merck’s pipeline and how it could affect S&P 500 valuation exposure — useful context but not an immediate share-mover. Merck’s (NYSE:MRK) Terns Deal And S&P 500 Valuation Impact Explained
• Negative Sentiment: Some intraday weakness was reported recently as the broader market improved — a reminder that short-term pullbacks can occur even with positive headlines. Merck (MRK) Stock Declines While Market Improves: Some Information for Investors
• Negative Sentiment: Commentary questioning whether Merck is overbought warns of near-term valuation risk after a big run — a potential headwind for momentum traders. Is It Too Late to Buy Costco or Merck? Are These Defensive Stocks Overbought?

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently commented on MRK shares. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $142.00 price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday, March 30th. Citigroup boosted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, March 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday. Bank of America boosted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald boosted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $116.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $127.59.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 37,685 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.92, for a total transaction of $4,556,870.20. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 160,174 shares in the company, valued at $19,368,240.08. The trade was a 19.05% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CMO Chirfi Guindo sold 20,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.88, for a total value of $2,437,600.00. Following the sale, the chief marketing officer owned 80,615 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,825,356.20. The trade was a 19.88% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 320,176 shares of company stock worth $38,281,735 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

About Merck & Co., Inc.

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.