4,452 Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Sold by Guyasuta Investment Advisors Inc.

Guyasuta Investment Advisors Inc. decreased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 6.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 61,219 shares of the company’s stock after selling 4,452 shares during the quarter. Guyasuta Investment Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $8,896,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 23.8% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 15,456,039 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,858,938,000 after purchasing an additional 2,969,856 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 10.5% during the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 30,774,221 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,701,831,000 after buying an additional 2,919,780 shares during the period. Corient Private Wealth LLC raised its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 114.7% during the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 5,210,548 shares of the company’s stock worth $548,462,000 after buying an additional 2,783,482 shares during the last quarter. Employees Provident Fund Board bought a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter worth $254,206,000. Finally, Diamant Asset Management Inc. raised its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 12,130.3% during the first quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 2,068,387 shares of the company’s stock worth $248,806,000 after buying an additional 2,051,475 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Key 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. Stock Performance

MRK opened at $145.66 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $145.26 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $129.12. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1-year low of $82.01 and a 1-year high of $156.92. The company has a market cap of $359.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 116.53, a PEG ratio of 6.81 and a beta of 0.21.

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

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th were given a dividend of $0.85 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 272.00%.

Insider Activity at Merck & Co., Inc.

In related news, EVP David Maraldo sold 18,706 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $128.72, for a total value of $2,407,836.32. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly 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 Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $135.00, for a total transaction of $1,350,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 36,613 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,942,755. The trade was a 21.45% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 228,238 shares of company stock worth $29,977,783. 0.17% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MRK has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, September 4th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price 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. Cantor Fitzgerald upped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $120.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 8th. Argus raised their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 25th. Finally, UBS Group raised their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 20th. Seventeen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $151.92.

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.