Stratos Investment Management LLC Raises Stock Position in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Stratos Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 6.7% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 128,329 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 8,090 shares during the period. Stratos Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $10,771,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Brighton Jones LLC raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 29.5% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 38,278 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,808,000 after purchasing an additional 8,710 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 52.2% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 11,494 shares of the company’s stock worth $910,000 after purchasing an additional 3,941 shares during the period. MGO One Seven LLC increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 5.5% during the 2nd quarter. MGO One Seven LLC now owns 63,735 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,045,000 after purchasing an additional 3,300 shares during the last quarter. Pzena Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 2nd quarter valued at $263,000. Finally, Vest Financial LLC lifted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 53.0% in the second quarter. Vest Financial LLC now owns 60,180 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,764,000 after buying an additional 20,838 shares during the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Short interest fell ~14.6% in January to ~28.7M shares (≈1.2% of float), lowering short‑pressure and reducing the odds of a short‑squeeze‑driven reversal. (Data: Jan. 30 short interest)
• Positive Sentiment: Bullish research argues Merck’s recent rally isn’t excess — analysts highlight extended Keytruda exclusivity, QLEX migration and pipeline/BD upside as durable revenue drivers. This supports longer‑term upside expectations. Merck: A Buy For 2026, But The Clock Is Still Ticking
• Positive Sentiment: Merck entered a strategic collaboration with Calla Lily Clinical Care to advance an intravaginal drug‑delivery platform (Callavid®), expanding non‑oncology device/partnered opportunities that could augment future topline or BD interest. Calla Lily Collaboration
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck reaffirmed solid fundamentals: recent quarter beat estimates, announced a $0.85 quarterly dividend (ex‑dividend March 16) and provided FY‑2026 EPS guidance. These support income/long‑term holders but may be largely priced in near term.
• Negative Sentiment: Large, high‑visibility insider sale: EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 121,573 shares (~$14.5M) at ≈$119.15 and materially reduced her stake — a prominent executive sale that can spook short‑term traders. Form 4 — Jennifer Zachary
• Negative Sentiment: Additional insider sales: CMO Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares (~$1.18M) and other senior executives (including the CFO and another EVP) disclosed multi‑million dollar sales, amplifying negative sentiment from leadership selling. Form 4 — Chirfi Guindo CFO Sale Coverage
• Negative Sentiment: Some market commentary and at least one downgrade flag a near‑term balancing act — caution about valuation after a strong run and nearer‑term catalysts keeps trading volatility elevated. Balancing Act Article

Insider Transactions at Merck & Co., Inc.

In related news, insider Johannes Jacobus Oosthuizen sold 15,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.87, for a total value of $1,828,050.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 21,197 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,583,278.39. This represents a 41.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CMO Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.41, for a total value of $1,184,100.00. Following the transaction, the chief marketing officer owned 70,615 shares in the company, valued at $8,361,522.15. The trade was a 12.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 320,176 shares of company stock valued at $38,281,735 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have weighed in on MRK. Citigroup boosted their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $115.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, December 15th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $102.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, December 12th. Zacks Research lowered shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Finally, Guggenheim raised their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $122.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Eight research 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 MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $120.93.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 0.5%

Shares of MRK opened at $117.12 on Wednesday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $107.22 and a 200-day moving average price of $93.75. The company has a current ratio of 1.66, a quick ratio of 1.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. The firm has a market capitalization of $290.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.09, a P/E/G ratio of 2.20 and a beta of 0.28. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12-month low of $73.31 and a 12-month high of $122.66.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.04 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.01 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $16.40 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.19 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 28.08% and a return on equity of 45.22%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.72 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.000-5.150 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

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

About Merck & Co., Inc.

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.