Insider Selling: Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) CMO Sells 10,000 Shares of Stock

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) CMO Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.41, for a total value of $1,184,100.00. Following the sale, the chief marketing officer owned 70,615 shares in the company, valued at $8,361,522.15. This represents a 12.40% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link.

Chirfi Guindo also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Thursday, February 5th, Chirfi Guindo sold 20,000 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.88, for a total value of $2,437,600.00.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Down 3.5%

Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock traded down $4.26 on Monday, hitting $117.67. The stock had a trading volume of 16,007,310 shares, compared to its average volume of 14,144,574. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $106.58 and a 200 day moving average of $93.29. The firm has a market capitalization of $292.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.16, a PEG ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 0.28. Merck & Co., Inc. has a twelve month low of $73.31 and a twelve month high of $122.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 1.44 and a current ratio of 1.66.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.04 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.01 by $0.03. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 28.08% and a return on equity of 45.22%. The firm had revenue of $16.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.19 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.72 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.000-5.150 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 7th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 16th will be given a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.9%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 16th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s payout ratio is 46.70%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Merck & Co., Inc.

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of MRK. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 254,322,763 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,770,014,000 after acquiring an additional 2,185,853 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 9.4% during the 2nd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 53,865,466 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,263,991,000 after purchasing an additional 4,636,183 shares during the last quarter. DLD Asset Management LP raised its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 11,000,000 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the second quarter valued at approximately $2,858,570,000. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 23.5% in the second quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 27,032,601 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,139,901,000 after purchasing an additional 5,135,748 shares during the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on MRK shares. Guggenheim lifted their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $122.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday. UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Cantor Fitzgerald boosted their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $116.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $102.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Sunday. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $119.53.

Key Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Keytruda patent protection extended to late‑2029 and strategic execution could unlock near‑term cash and boost longer‑term value—analyst note calls MRK a “buy” for 2026 and forecasts material upside from QLEX migration and other levers. Merck: A Buy For 2026, But The Clock Is Still Ticking
• Positive Sentiment: Bull case argues the recent price surge isn’t excessive given a diverse portfolio, new approvals (QLEX), strong vaccine performance (Capvaxive up ~460%), and ongoing pipeline innovation to offset future Keytruda erosion. Merck: The Spike Doesn’t Make It Overvalued
• Positive Sentiment: Recent analyst upgrade has already supported an earlier price uptick, reflecting renewed investor enthusiasm around growth and dividend attractiveness. Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Stock Price Up 1.8% After Analyst Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Investment write‑ups highlight Merck as a Dow Dividend candidate for long‑term income investors, reinforcing buy‑and‑hold demand for dividend strategies. 3 Top Dow Jones Dividend Stocks to Buy for Passive Income in 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Longer-form bull case pieces are circulating that recap upside scenarios and risks; useful for context but not a single catalytic item. Merck Co., Inc. (MRK): A bull case theory
• Negative Sentiment: Street sentiment cooled with a recent downgrade, which can pressure momentum investors and reduce near‑term upside. From Bargain To Balancing Act: Merck’s Next Test Begins (Rating Downgrade)
• Negative Sentiment: Several high‑profile insider sales (CFO, EVP and other executives) totaling multi‑million dollars were reported over the last 48 hours; large insider dispositions often raise short‑term concern about insider conviction. Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) CFO Sells $5,023,261.17 in Stock Insider Selling: Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) EVP Sells $4,556,870.20 in Stock Dean Li Sells 15,087 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc.
• Negative Sentiment: Another boutique outlet lowered its rating, adding to the mix of caution from some analysts and possibly amplifying volatility. Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Stock Rating Lowered by Wall Street Zen

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.