Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Stake Lifted by Mufg Securities Americas Inc.

Mufg Securities Americas Inc. grew its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 21.0% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 67,356 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 11,704 shares during the quarter. Mufg Securities Americas Inc.’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $5,653,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in MRK. Darwin Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 237.4% during the 3rd quarter. Darwin Wealth Management LLC now owns 307 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 216 shares in the last quarter. Kilter Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the second quarter worth about $27,000. Bare Financial Services Inc boosted its holdings 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 worth $29,000 after buying an additional 125 shares during the period. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 302.3% in the third quarter. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 354 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 266 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Evolution Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the second quarter valued at approximately $31,000. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Positive clinical and regulatory updates — Merck reported Phase 3 SMART results for ENFLONSIA showing protection against RSV in high‑risk infants into a second season, and the FDA cleared new KEYTRUDA formulations/indications (including a subcutaneous option), expanding near‑term growth levers. Merck RSV And KEYTRUDA Updates Refocus Attention On Valuation And Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Market placement/relative strength — Merck hit an annual high in the Russell 1000, signaling continued institutional interest and relative strength vs. peers. Merck (NYSE:MRK) Hits Annual High in Russell 1000
• Neutral Sentiment: Official reorganization announced — Merck is formally evolving its Human Health operating structure into two divisions (a cancer‑focused unit and a non‑cancer/vaccines unit) to sharpen launches and portfolio execution; the move is strategic but its net financial impact is uncertain. Merck Evolves Human Health Operating Structure to Support Portfolio Execution
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/coverage notes — New research coverage and an average analyst rating around “Moderate Buy” provide support but don’t materially change the risk/reward in the near term. Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Receives Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts
• Negative Sentiment: Keytruda patent cliff remains a major risk — Management’s split is explicitly to offset expected revenue pressure from Keytruda’s loss of exclusivity (patent expiry window), which could allow biosimilar competition and materially reduce future sales. That long‑term downside is the key risk investors are weighing. Merck to create separate cancer business to offset Keytruda patent loss, WSJ reports

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Up 1.1%

NYSE MRK opened at $123.63 on Tuesday. 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. has a 1-year low of $73.31 and a 1-year high of $124.19. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $111.13 and its 200-day simple moving average is $96.33. The company has a market capitalization of $306.85 billion, a PE ratio of 16.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 0.28.

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

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 7th. Investors of record on Monday, March 16th will be issued a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 16th. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio is currently 46.70%.

Insider Transactions at Merck & Co., Inc.

In related news, CFO Caroline Litchfield sold 41,997 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.61, for a total value of $5,023,261.17. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 90,192 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,787,865.12. The trade was a 31.77% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CMO Chirfi Guindo sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.88, for a total transaction of $2,437,600.00. Following the transaction, the chief marketing officer directly owned 80,615 shares in the company, valued at $9,825,356.20. The trade was a 19.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 320,176 shares of company stock valued at $38,281,735 in the last ninety days. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently commented on MRK. 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. UBS Group increased their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Wolfe Research raised Merck & Co., Inc. from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $135.00 target price for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Zacks Research lowered Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Finally, Citigroup raised their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $115.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $124.80.

Merck & Co., Inc. 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.