Keybank National Association OH Trims Position in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Keybank National Association OH cut its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 3.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 836,940 shares of the company’s stock after selling 28,640 shares during the quarter. Keybank National Association OH’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $70,244,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MRK. Darwin Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 237.4% in the 3rd quarter. Darwin Wealth Management LLC now owns 307 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 216 shares in the last quarter. Kilter Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the second quarter worth about $27,000. Bare Financial Services Inc grew its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 51.9% in the second quarter. Bare Financial Services Inc now owns 366 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 125 shares in the last quarter. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 302.3% during the 3rd quarter. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 354 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 266 shares during the period. Finally, Evolution Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlights strong Keytruda demand and new product launches as key upside drivers into Q4 results, supporting longer‑term revenue growth and helping sentiment today. Buy, Sell or Hold MRK Stock: Key Factors to Watch Before Q4 Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Insider/“smart money” activity: Chirfi Guindo bought roughly $1.06M of MRK stock — a buy by an institutional insider can signal confidence and attract momentum buyers. Smart Money Move: Chirfi Guindo Grabs $1.06M Worth Of Merck & Co Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks’ market recap notes MRK outperformed while the broader market dipped, indicating relative strength and sector‑specific buying interest. Why the Market Dipped But Merck (MRK) Gained Today
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst notes and sector coverage (Globe and Mail) provide mixed, mostly informational views on Merck alongside peers—useful for context but not a clear directional trigger. Analysts Offer Insights on Healthcare Companies: Merck & Company (MRK) and Waters (WAT)
• Neutral Sentiment: Additional analyst commentary comparing MRK with UnitedHealth provides sector perspective but no new catalyst. Analysts Offer Insights on Healthcare Companies: Merck & Company (MRK) and UnitedHealth (UNH)
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks’ primer on Wall Street estimates and key metrics ahead of Q4 is a useful reference for modeling MRK’s upcoming quarter but doesn’t itself move the needle. Curious about Merck (MRK) Q4 Performance? Explore Wall Street Estimates for Key Metrics
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks notes MRK is a trending stock on its platform—higher retail/institutional attention increases liquidity and volatility risk but is not a directional catalyst by itself. Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) Is a Trending Stock: Facts to Know Before Betting on It
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks warns that declining analyst estimates and rising M&A‑related costs could depress near‑term results and investor sentiment—key risk ahead of earnings. Buy, Sell or Hold MRK Stock: Key Factors to Watch Before Q4 Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Brokerage consensus is an average “Hold” rating, indicating limited near‑term upgrade potential and less bullish analyst conviction. Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Given Average Rating of “Hold” by Brokerages

Insider Buying and Selling at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, EVP David Michael Williams sold 8,614 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $83.59, for a total value of $720,044.26. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 24,578 shares in the company, valued at $2,054,475.02. This trade represents a 25.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.13% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on MRK. Wall Street Zen upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Bank of America increased their target price 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. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $90.00 to $125.00 in a research note on Monday, November 24th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price objective 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. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Merck & Co., Inc. has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $114.53.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE MRK opened at $110.24 on Friday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12-month low of $73.31 and a 12-month high of $112.90. The company has a market cap of $273.62 billion, a PE ratio of 14.56, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.29. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $105.20 and a 200-day simple moving average of $91.87. The company has a current ratio of 1.66, a quick ratio of 1.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $1.94 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.08 by ($0.14). Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 44.54% and a net margin of 29.63%. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 7th. Investors of record on Monday, March 16th will be given a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 16th. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.1%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 44.91%.

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.