Insider Selling: Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) EVP Sells 12,837 Shares of Stock

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) EVP Richard Deluca sold 12,837 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $131.76, for a total value of $1,691,403.12. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 121,866 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,057,064.16. This trade represents a 9.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Up 2.1%

NYSE:MRK traded up $2.68 on Wednesday, hitting $133.10. The stock had a trading volume of 9,894,503 shares, compared to its average volume of 10,707,019. The business’s fifty day moving average is $124.58 and its 200 day moving average is $119.47. The company has a market cap of $328.38 billion, a PE ratio of 106.48, a P/E/G ratio of 5.66 and a beta of 0.19. The company has a quick ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52 week low of $77.58 and a 52 week high of $135.05.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.26) by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $16.61 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.37 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 16.05% and a net margin of 4.77%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.13 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.76 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be given a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 272.00%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have weighed in on MRK shares. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $142.00 price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. Barclays upped their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. CICC Research began coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $138.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Citigroup initiated coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $125.00 price target on the stock. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $135.50.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Merck & Co., Inc.

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Brighton Jones LLC increased its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 29.5% in the 4th 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 grew 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 valued at $910,000 after acquiring an additional 3,941 shares in the last quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC grew its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 94.1% in the second 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 in the last quarter. Diversify Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 22.2% during the second 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. increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 111.7% during the second 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 last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Daiwa upgraded Merck to “outperform” and set a $143 price target, implying additional upside from recent trading levels. Finviz analyst upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Argus raised its price target to $145 and reiterated a “buy” rating, adding to the positive analyst momentum around MRK. Benzinga analyst action
• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group increased its FY2026 earnings estimate to $2.75 per share from $2.70, bringing its forecast close to the $2.76 consensus estimate. MarketBeat earnings estimate
• Positive Sentiment: The FDA and EMA accepted applications to expand ENFLONSIA for RSV prevention in additional high-risk young children. The regulatory milestone could broaden Merck’s growth opportunities beyond oncology and help diversify its portfolio as Keytruda faces future patent challenges. Merck ENFLONSIA regulatory news
• Positive Sentiment: Merck’s latest results included $16.61 billion in revenue, above analyst expectations, with oncology and animal health contributing to performance. The company also continues to attract institutional ownership, which exceeds 76%. Merck earnings call transcript

Merck & Co., Inc. Company Profile

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.