New York State Common Retirement Fund Acquires 45,709 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

New York State Common Retirement Fund lifted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 1.3% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 3,667,999 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 45,709 shares during the period. New York State Common Retirement Fund owned 0.15% of Merck & Co., Inc. worth $307,855,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Darwin Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 237.4% in the 3rd quarter. Darwin Wealth Management LLC now owns 307 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 216 shares during the last quarter. Kilter Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the second quarter worth approximately $27,000. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 302.3% in the third quarter. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 354 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 266 shares during the last quarter. Bare Financial Services Inc increased its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 51.9% during the 2nd quarter. Bare Financial Services Inc now owns 366 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares during the period. Finally, Evolution Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 2nd quarter valued at about $31,000. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck’s multi-month rally: MERK has climbed ~41% over the past six months as profits have bumped up and investor confidence returned, providing a positive backdrop for the stock. What’s Fueling The Rally In Merck Stock?
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend boost: Merck declared a $0.85 quarterly dividend (annualized yield ~3.2%), with an ex‑dividend/record date in mid‑March and payment in April — supports income investors and can underpin the share price. Merck Announces Second-Quarter 2026 Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst target lift: Citigroup raised its price target to $115 (still a “neutral” rating), signaling modest upside in analyst models and helping sentiment. Benzinga report on Citigroup
• Positive Sentiment: Broker interest: Recent coverage pieces note that sell‑side recommendations are encouraging investors to revisit MRK, which can drive buying momentum when multiple brokers are constructive. Brokers Suggest Investing in Merck (MRK)
• Neutral Sentiment: Product/portfolio watch: Investors are shifting attention beyond Keytruda to new non‑oncology launches (Capvaxive, Winrevair) and Animal Health sales — these could drive future growth but are still early-stage drivers. Merck’s Non-Oncology Drugs Q4 Performance
• Neutral Sentiment: Quality vs. visibility: TD Cowen (covered in recent media) praises Merck’s quality but flags that growth visibility matters — a cautious note that tempers bullish narratives. Merck’s quality is clear, but growth visibility matters
• Negative Sentiment: Earnings uncertainty: Wall Street previews suggest Merck may lack the right setup for an earnings beat next week, and recent quarterly results showed an EPS miss — a near‑term headwind that likely explains downward pressure on the stock. Merck (MRK) Earnings Expected to Grow

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of NYSE MRK opened at $106.94 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $265.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 0.29. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $104.69 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $91.57. The company has a current ratio of 1.66, a quick ratio of 1.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1-year low of $73.31 and a 1-year high of $112.90.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $1.94 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.08 by ($0.14). Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 44.54% and a net margin of 29.63%. Analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 7th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 16th will be given a dividend of $0.85 per share. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.2%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 16th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 44.91%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other news, EVP David Michael Williams sold 8,614 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $83.59, for a total value of $720,044.26. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 24,578 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,054,475.02. The trade was a 25.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.09% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have issued reports on MRK shares. Citigroup boosted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $110.00 to $115.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Wells Fargo & Company raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and raised their price target for the company from $90.00 to $125.00 in a research report on Monday, November 24th. BMO Capital Markets raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $82.00 to $130.00 in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $102.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Finally, TD Cowen upped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $114.53.

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.