Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Bought by TD Waterhouse Canada Inc.

TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. lifted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 9.2% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 252,909 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 21,396 shares during the quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc.’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $22,642,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of MRK. Darwin Wealth Management LLC grew its position in 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 in the last quarter. Kilter Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 2nd quarter worth about $27,000. Bare Financial Services Inc lifted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 51.9% in the 2nd quarter. Bare Financial Services Inc now owns 366 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 125 shares during the period. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Evolution Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the second quarter valued at approximately $31,000. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Market context: Zacks highlights that Merck outperformed the broader market session even as the market dipped, signaling defensive demand and relative strength. Increased investor interest helped lift the share price. Why the Market Dipped But Merck (MRK) Gained Today
• Positive Sentiment: Rally narrative: Forbes notes a 41% six‑month surge driven by profit growth and rising investor confidence — a storyline that attracts momentum buyers and supports valuation multiples. What’s Fueling The Rally In Merck Stock?
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend: Merck declared a quarterly dividend of $0.85 (annualized yield ~3.2%), which supports income investor demand and can be a stabilizer for the stock around earnings. Dividend Declaration (source)
• Neutral Sentiment: Q4 previews and estimates: Zacks published pieces that walk through Wall Street’s top‑line and key‑metric expectations for the quarter and highlight items analysts will watch (revenue mix, margin drivers). These previews increase focus and can amplify moves post‑release but are informational until the actual print. Curious about Merck (MRK) Q4 Performance? Explore Wall Street Estimates for Key Metrics
• Neutral Sentiment: Product watch: Zacks highlights non‑oncology drugs (Capvaxive, Winrevair) and Animal Health sales as Q4 catalysts — positive outcomes could extend the rally, but these remain ahead of confirmation. Merck’s Non-Oncology Drugs Q4 Performance: What to Expect
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor interest: Zacks notes MRK is a trending/most‑searched stock, which raises volume and volatility but doesn’t by itself change fundamentals. Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) Is a Trending Stock: Facts to Know Before Betting on It
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage: Zacks and other outlets summarize broker commentary and ratings; AmericanBankingNews reports an average “Hold” from brokerages — a neutral consensus that can cap upside unless upgraded. Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Given Average Rating of “Hold” by Brokerages
• Negative Sentiment: Execution risk / near‑term earnings: recent EPS dynamics and any miss versus Wall Street (covered in previews) are the main near‑term downside risk — a weaker Q4 print or guidance could reverse the recent rally. Brokers Suggest Investing in Merck (MRK): Read This Before Placing a Bet

Analyst Ratings Changes

MRK has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. UBS Group boosted their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Zacks Research cut Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Wall Street Zen lowered Merck & Co., Inc. from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, January 17th. TD Cowen raised their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $110.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $114.53.

Insider Activity

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 transaction of $720,044.26. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 24,578 shares in the company, 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 legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.13% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Up 1.3%

Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $108.25 on Friday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12-month low of $73.31 and a 12-month high of $112.90. The firm has a market capitalization of $268.68 billion, a PE ratio of 14.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 0.29. The company has a quick ratio of 1.44, a current ratio of 1.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $104.95 and its 200-day moving average is $91.68.

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

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 7th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 16th will be given a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 16th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 44.91%.

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.