Applied Finance Capital Management LLC Has $14.95 Million Stake in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Applied Finance Capital Management LLC lowered its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 8.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 178,136 shares of the company’s stock after selling 16,547 shares during the period. Applied Finance Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $14,947,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in MRK. Chemung Canal Trust Co. boosted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 21.1% during the 3rd quarter. Chemung Canal Trust Co. now owns 76,338 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,407,000 after purchasing an additional 13,285 shares in the last quarter. First Pacific Financial boosted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 14.7% in the third quarter. First Pacific Financial now owns 47,555 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,991,000 after acquiring an additional 6,082 shares in the last quarter. Diversified Trust Co grew its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 9.6% in the third quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 207,838 shares of the company’s stock valued at $17,444,000 after acquiring an additional 18,187 shares during the period. Caxton Associates LLP raised its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 23.3% during the second quarter. Caxton Associates LLP now owns 39,421 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,121,000 after buying an additional 7,458 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Amplius Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 117.4% in the second quarter. Amplius Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 6,165 shares of the company’s stock valued at $488,000 after buying an additional 3,329 shares in the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Bank of America raised their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, December 15th. Wolfe Research upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $135.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. BMO Capital Markets raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and increased their target price for the company from $82.00 to $130.00 in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. UBS Group upped their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $120.93.

More Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Bull research argues the recent run doesn’t make MRK overvalued and highlights durable upside from Keytruda, QLEX migration and pipeline execution. Merck: The Spike Doesn’t Make It Overvalued
• Positive Sentiment: Another bullish note rates MRK a Buy for 2026, citing extended Keytruda exclusivity to late‑2029 and “hidden alpha” from QLEX migration and BD/pipeline execution. Merck: A Buy For 2026, But The Clock Is Still Ticking
• Positive Sentiment: Some financial media also flagged an analyst upgrade that briefly lifted the share price and coverage noting Merck’s positioning for long‑term revenue growth. Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Price Up 1.8% After Analyst Upgrade
• Neutral Sentiment: Longer‑term dividend/quality screens and bull‑case articles continue to present MRK as a multi‑year recovery story, which supports longer‑horizon holders but may not offset short‑term selling. 3 Top Dow Jones Dividend Stocks to Buy for Passive Income in 2026
• Negative Sentiment: EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 121,573 shares (~$14.5M) at ≈$119.15, cutting her ownership by ~64% — a large, conspicuous insider sale that often triggers investor concern. Form 4 — Jennifer Zachary
• Negative Sentiment: CMO Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares (~$1.18M) at ≈$118.41, reducing their stake ~12.4%. Form 4 — Chirfi Guindo
• Negative Sentiment: Additional recent insider sales reported (CFO and other executives sold multi‑million dollar amounts), amplifying the negative signal from leadership selling. CFO Sells $5,023,261.17 EVP Sells $4,556,870.20
• Negative Sentiment: Wall Street Zen and at least one Seeking Alpha piece issued more cautious or downgraded takes, adding pressure for traders who focus on near‑term catalysts. From Bargain To Balancing Act: Merck’s Next Test Begins Stock Rating Lowered by Wall Street Zen

Insider Activity

In related news, CMO Chirfi Guindo sold 20,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.88, for a total value of $2,437,600.00. Following the sale, the chief marketing officer owned 80,615 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,825,356.20. The trade was a 19.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 121,573 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.15, for a total transaction of $14,485,422.95. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 68,916 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,211,341.40. This represents a 63.82% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 320,176 shares of company stock worth $38,281,735. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Down 3.5%

NYSE MRK opened at $117.67 on Tuesday. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $106.89 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $93.53. Merck & Co., Inc. has a twelve month low of $73.31 and a twelve month high of $122.66. 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 company has a market capitalization of $292.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.16, a PEG ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 0.28.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.04 earnings per share (EPS) 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 company had revenue of $16.40 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.19 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.72 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc.’s revenue was up 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.000-5.150 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

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

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.