National Pension Service Buys 29,696 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

National Pension Service boosted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 0.5% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 5,791,782 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 29,696 shares during the period. National Pension Service’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $744,244,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of MRK. Pinnacle Wealth Management Advisory Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.6% in the 2nd quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Management Advisory Group LLC now owns 76,268 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,800,000 after purchasing an additional 1,939 shares during the period. NorthRock Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 5.8% during the second quarter. NorthRock Partners LLC now owns 36,249 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,658,000 after purchasing an additional 1,987 shares in the last quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC grew its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 12.1% in the second quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 128,068 shares of the company’s stock worth $16,457,000 after purchasing an additional 13,850 shares during the period. NewEdge Advisors LLC grew its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 10.1% in the second quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 455,515 shares of the company’s stock worth $58,534,000 after purchasing an additional 41,950 shares during the period. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc raised its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 4.0% in the second quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 30,895 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,970,000 after purchasing an additional 1,202 shares in the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

Shares of MRK stock opened at $147.69 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $364.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 118.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.46 and a beta of 0.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.32. Merck & Co., Inc. has a one year low of $77.58 and a one year high of $156.92. The company’s 50-day moving average is $135.91 and its 200 day moving average is $124.10.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.26) by $0.13. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 4.77% and a return on equity of 16.73%. The firm had revenue of $16.61 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.37 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.13 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.76 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be issued a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.3%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 272.00%.

Insider Transactions at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, EVP David R. Maraldo sold 18,706 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $128.72, for a total value of $2,407,836.32. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 18,212 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,344,248.64. The trade was a 50.67% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 80,315 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.46, for a total transaction of $10,718,839.90. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 45,509 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,073,631.14. The trade was a 63.83% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 228,238 shares of company stock valued at $29,977,783. Insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have commented on the company. Daiwa Securities Group raised Merck & Co., Inc. from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $143.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. Scotiabank upped their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $136.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a “sector outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from an “outperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating and increased their price target for the stock from $142.00 to $150.00 in a research note on Thursday, August 20th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, September 4th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Sixteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $150.33.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades support valuation: Leerink Partners raised its price target from $127 to $161 and maintained an “outperform” rating, while Guggenheim increased its target from $146 to $170 and assigned a “buy” rating. The revisions suggest analysts see further upside from Merck’s commercial execution and pipeline. Benzinga analyst rating reports
• Positive Sentiment: Pipeline expansion addresses the Keytruda patent cliff: Merck is pairing antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) with Keytruda in women’s cancers, seeking to improve outcomes in difficult-to-treat tumors while building future revenue sources before Keytruda faces patent pressure. Merck pairs ADCs with Keytruda in women’s cancer push
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor attention is focused on management commentary: Merck presented at the Wells Fargo 21st Annual Healthcare Conference and is scheduled to participate in Morgan Stanley’s global healthcare conference. These events may provide additional detail on Keytruda demand, pipeline progress and long-term growth plans. Wells Fargo healthcare conference transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Keytruda and new products remain central to the bull case: Commentary highlights Keytruda’s current growth contribution and Merck’s efforts to develop products capable of extending momentum beyond the anticipated 2028 patent cliff. MRK’s strong recent performance and elevated valuation leave expectations high. Merck trading near 52-week high
• Negative Sentiment: Long-term patent risk remains: Investors are watching whether Merck can replace revenue that may be lost when Keytruda’s exclusivity weakens. The company’s ability to commercialize ADC combinations and other pipeline assets is therefore critical to sustaining growth and its current valuation. Merck outlook and GARDASIL commentary

Merck & Co., Inc. Company Profile

Merck & Co, Inc is a global healthcare company that develops, manufactures, and markets prescription medicines, vaccines, and animal-health products. The company serves patients, healthcare providers, and customers in markets worldwide through its Human Health and Animal Health businesses.

Merck’s pharmaceutical portfolio includes oncology, infectious disease, cardiology, immunology, and other therapeutic areas. Its products include Keytruda, an immunotherapy used to treat various cancers; Gardasil, a vaccine that helps protect against human papillomavirus (HPV); and Januvia, a treatment for type 2 diabetes.