11,142 Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Acquired by Wedmont Private Capital

Wedmont Private Capital lifted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 39.4% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 39,432 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 11,142 shares during the quarter. Wedmont Private Capital’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $5,614,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Horizons Wealth Management bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. Bullseye Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the second quarter worth approximately $27,000. Abound Financial LLC bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Graney & King LLC lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 400.0% in the second quarter. Graney & King LLC now owns 250 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Montgomery Financial Services LLC bought a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $41,000. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of MRK traded up $4.07 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $146.45. The stock had a trading volume of 3,581,885 shares, compared to its average volume of 10,624,871. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.32. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12 month low of $82.01 and a 12 month high of $156.92. The stock has a market capitalization of $361.31 billion, a PE ratio of 116.98, a PEG ratio of 6.42 and a beta of 0.21. The company’s 50-day moving average is $143.59 and its two-hundred day moving average is $128.16.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.26) by $0.13. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 16.73% and a net margin of 4.77%.The company had revenue of $16.61 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.37 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.13 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. Research analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.67 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th were given a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s payout ratio is currently 272.00%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP David R. Maraldo sold 18,706 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $128.72, for a total transaction of $2,407,836.32. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 18,212 shares in the company, valued at $2,344,248.64. The trade was a 50.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 80,315 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.46, for a total transaction of $10,718,839.90. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 45,509 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,073,631.14. This represents a 63.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 228,238 shares of company stock valued at $29,977,783 in the last quarter. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on MRK shares. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, September 4th. Bank of America boosted their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $179.00 to $177.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Wall Street Zen downgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, October 3rd. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald boosted their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $120.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday. Seventeen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $151.32.

Key Headlines Impacting Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: The FDA approved Merck’s combination of WELIREG and LENVIMA for adults with advanced renal cell carcinoma previously treated with a PD-1 or PD-L1 inhibitor. The approval expands the commercial opportunity for Merck’s oncology portfolio. Merck also initiated a first-in-human Phase I trial involving Cyprumed’s oral peptide-delivery platform, adding a potential pipeline catalyst. Merck Wins FDA Approval for WELIREG Plus LENVIMA
• Positive Sentiment: Apella Capital increased its MRK position by 16.6% to 43,902 shares, signaling additional institutional interest. However, the filing reflects a past quarter and is not necessarily a current trading signal. Apella Capital Increases Stake in Merck
• Neutral Sentiment: Cantor Fitzgerald raised its MRK price target from $120 to $145 but maintained a “neutral” rating. The higher target acknowledges Merck’s prospects, yet it is slightly below the stock’s recent trading level, implying limited near-term upside. Cantor Fitzgerald Raises Pharma Price Targets
• Neutral Sentiment: Morgan Stanley’s coverage appears mixed: one report cites a cautious price outlook, while another reports a Buy rating. The conflicting signals suggest analysts recognize Merck’s strengths but remain concerned about growth and valuation. Merck Gets a Buy Rating from Morgan Stanley
• Negative Sentiment: A Dutch court injunction blocks Merck’s subcutaneous Keytruda from being sold in eight European markets during the patent dispute with Halozyme. The ruling could delay adoption of a potentially more convenient formulation and create added legal and commercial uncertainty. Court Blocks Merck’s Keytruda Subcutaneous Product in Europe
• Negative Sentiment: Industry analysts identify Merck as particularly exposed to near-term generic competition as major drug patents expire. That patent-cliff risk could pressure future revenue and earnings, despite the company’s efforts to expand its oncology pipeline. Pharma Patent Losses and Merck’s Exposure

Merck & Co., Inc. Company Profile

Merck & Co, Inc is a global healthcare company that develops and markets prescription medicines, vaccines, and animal-health products. The company serves patients, healthcare providers, and customers in markets around the world, with research and commercial operations spanning multiple geographic regions.

Its pharmaceutical portfolio includes oncology, infectious-disease, cardiovascular, immunology, and other therapeutic areas. Key products include Keytruda, an oncology treatment; Gardasil, a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine; Januvia and Janumet for type 2 diabetes; Bridion for anesthesia-related use; and Winrevair for pulmonary arterial hypertension.