24,447 Shares in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Purchased by B.A. Schrock Wealth Management Inc.

B.A. Schrock Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 24,447 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,516,000. Merck & Co., Inc. makes up about 1.2% of B.A. Schrock Wealth Management Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 28th largest holding.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. BlackRock Inc. lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.5% in the second quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 226,999,837 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,169,479,000 after acquiring an additional 1,073,507 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.9% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 120,413,256 shares of the company’s stock worth $15,573,754,000 after buying an additional 1,087,583 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.3% during the 2nd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 86,249,283 shares of the company’s stock valued at $11,083,033,000 after acquiring an additional 1,934,312 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its position in 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. grew its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.5% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 20,546,185 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,162,691,000 after buying an additional 701,249 shares in the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Up 3.9%

Shares of NYSE MRK opened at $147.47 on Thursday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a twelve month low of $82.01 and a twelve month high of $156.92. 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 stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $144.91 and a 200-day simple moving average of $128.93. The stock has a market capitalization of $363.83 billion, a PE ratio of 117.97, a PEG ratio of 6.56 and a beta of 0.21.

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 the consensus estimate of ($0.26) by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $16.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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 revenue was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.13 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.66 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

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

Merck & Co., Inc. News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Keytruda and pipeline catalysts support Q3 optimism. Continued Keytruda sales growth, expanded indications and newer launches could help Merck exceed third-quarter expectations. Will Keytruda Continue to Aid Merck’s Top Line in Q3 Earnings?
• Positive Sentiment: Oncology pipeline data is an important longer-term catalyst. Merck plans to present first-time pivotal Phase 3 results from three studies and more than 90 additional abstracts at ESMO 2026, potentially providing evidence of growth opportunities as Keytruda eventually faces biosimilar pressure. Merck ESMO 2026 Oncology Pipeline Announcement
• Positive Sentiment: Management sounded constructive on the Moderna cancer vaccine partnership. CEO Rob Davis said manufacturing of the personalized cancer vaccine should become faster and more efficient as Merck and Moderna refine the complex production process. Merck CEO Discusses Cancer Vaccine Manufacturing
• Positive Sentiment: Leerink Partners initiated or reiterated a Buy rating on Merck, adding favorable analyst sentiment. Merck Gets a Buy Rating from Leerink Partners

Analyst Ratings Changes

MRK has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. TD Cowen boosted their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $137.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 23rd. Rothschild & Co Redburn upped their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $145.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, October 3rd. Finally, Guggenheim upped their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $146.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 8th. Seventeen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $151.92.

Insider Transactions at Merck & Co., Inc.

In related news, EVP David Maraldo sold 18,706 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $128.72, for a total transaction of $2,407,836.32. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 18,212 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,344,248.64. The trade was a 50.67% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Chirfi Guindo sold 15,000 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $131.00, for a total value of $1,965,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 46,613 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,106,303. The trade was a 24.35% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 228,238 shares of company stock valued at $29,977,783 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Profile

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.