18,326 Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Sold by Ninety One UK Ltd

Ninety One UK Ltd cut its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 18.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 80,584 shares of the company’s stock after selling 18,326 shares during the quarter. Ninety One UK Ltd’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $11,710,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Charles Schwab Trust Co increased its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 4.5% during the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Trust Co now owns 8,622 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,253,000 after purchasing an additional 372 shares during the last quarter. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 7.2% in the 3rd quarter. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 31,052 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,512,000 after purchasing an additional 2,084 shares during the last quarter. WealthPlan Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 5.2% in the 3rd quarter. WealthPlan Investment Management LLC now owns 34,883 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,069,000 after purchasing an additional 1,716 shares during the last quarter. C2P Capital Advisory Group LLC d.b.a. Prosperity Capital Advisors lifted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 6.4% in the 3rd quarter. C2P Capital Advisory Group LLC d.b.a. Prosperity Capital Advisors now owns 7,217 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,049,000 after purchasing an additional 435 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nvwm LLC lifted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.6% in the 3rd quarter. Nvwm LLC now owns 32,637 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,742,000 after purchasing an additional 198 shares during the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently commented on MRK. TD Cowen lifted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $137.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 23rd. Daiwa Securities Group upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $143.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $152.00 to $175.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Finally, CICC Research initiated coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $138.00 target price for the company. Seventeen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $151.92.

More Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck plans to present first-time pivotal Phase 3 data at ESMO 2026 for oncology programs including melanoma and endometrial cancer. The company will also hold an oncology investor event, potentially giving investors greater visibility into growth opportunities beyond Keytruda. What Could Merck Reveal At ESMO 2026 About Its Oncology Pipeline?
• Positive Sentiment: CEO Rob Davis said Merck and Moderna expect manufacturing of their personalized cancer vaccine to become faster over time. Improving production efficiency could support broader commercialization of the vaccine, although manufacturing remains complex. Merck CEO Tells CNBC He Expects Breakthrough Cancer Vaccine Will Become Faster to Make
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts expect Keytruda sales growth, newer product launches and expanded indications to support third-quarter revenue. However, biosimilar competition is expected to become a more significant risk in 2028–2029, making pipeline execution increasingly important. Will Keytruda Continue to Aid Merck’s Top Line in Q3 Earnings?
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck’s dividend yield is about 2.3%, but comparisons with Amgen highlight differing levels of dividend coverage and cash-flow flexibility. The analysis may influence income-focused investors but does not introduce a new company-specific catalyst. AMGN vs. MRK: Which Pharma Giant’s Dividend Actually Has Room to Grow
• Negative Sentiment: Merck trades at a premium valuation of roughly 5.5 times sales, increasing the market’s expectations for sustained growth. Investors are also monitoring the changing emphasis in management’s strategy and continuing challenges for the Gardasil vaccine business in China. How Has Merck’s Story Changed?

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of MRK opened at $145.66 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $359.37 billion, a PE ratio of 116.53, a PEG ratio of 6.81 and a beta of 0.21. The company’s 50-day moving average is $145.26 and its 200-day moving average is $129.12. Merck & Co., Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $82.01 and a fifty-two week high of $156.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.32 and a quick ratio of 1.10.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.26) by $0.13. The company had revenue of $16.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $16.37 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 4.77% and a return on equity of 16.73%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s quarterly revenue was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.13 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.66 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th were issued a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio is currently 272.00%.

Insider Transactions at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, EVP David Maraldo sold 18,706 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $128.72, for a total transaction of $2,407,836.32. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 18,212 shares in the company, valued at $2,344,248.64. This trade represents a 50.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Chirfi Guindo sold 15,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $131.00, for a total transaction of $1,965,000.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 46,613 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,106,303. This trade represents a 24.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 228,238 shares of company stock worth $29,977,783. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

About Merck & Co., Inc.

Merck & Co, Inc is a global healthcare company that develops and markets prescription medicines, vaccines, and animal-health products. The company serves patients, healthcare providers, and customers in markets around the world, with research and commercial operations spanning multiple geographic regions.

Its pharmaceutical portfolio includes oncology, infectious-disease, cardiovascular, immunology, and other therapeutic areas. Key products include Keytruda, an oncology treatment; Gardasil, a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine; Januvia and Janumet for type 2 diabetes; Bridion for anesthesia-related use; and Winrevair for pulmonary arterial hypertension.