Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Shares Acquired Rep. Gilbert Ray Cisneros, Jr.

Representative Gilbert Ray Cisneros, Jr. (D-California) recently bought shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK). In a filing disclosed on December 15th, the Representative disclosed that they had bought between $1,001 and $15,000 in Merck & Co., Inc. stock on November 18th. The trade occurred in the Representative’s “150 MAIN STREET TRUST > BANK OF AMERICA” account.

Representative Gilbert Ray Cisneros, Jr. also recently made the following trade(s):

• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Spotify Technology (NYSE:SPOT) on 11/26/2025.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) on 11/26/2025.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of First Watch Restaurant Group (NASDAQ:FWRG) on 11/26/2025.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of TKO Group (NYSE:TKO) on 11/26/2025.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of RBC Bearings (NYSE:RBC) on 11/24/2025.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Stifel Financial (NYSE:SF) on 11/24/2025.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Logan Energy (CVE:LGN) on 11/24/2025.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Primoris Services (NASDAQ:PRIM) on 11/24/2025.
• Purchased $15,001 – $50,000 in shares of LandBridge (NYSE:LB) on 11/21/2025.
• Purchased $50,001 – $100,000 in shares of LandBridge (NYSE:LB) on 11/20/2025.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of NYSE MRK opened at $99.19 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.44, a current ratio of 1.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. Merck & Co., Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $73.31 and a fifty-two week high of $105.84. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $92.79 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $85.84. The firm has a market cap of $246.18 billion, a PE ratio of 13.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.95 and a beta of 0.29.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $2.58 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.36 by $0.22. The company had revenue of $17.28 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $17 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 44.54% and a net margin of 29.63%.The business’s revenue was up 3.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.57 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2025 guidance at 8.930-8.980 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 8th. Investors of record on Monday, December 15th will be issued a $0.85 dividend. This is an increase from Merck & Co., Inc.’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.81. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 44.91%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. One Charles Private Wealth Services LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.3% in the third quarter. One Charles Private Wealth Services LLC now owns 3,464 shares of the company’s stock valued at $291,000 after acquiring an additional 111 shares in the last quarter. Dakota Community Bank & Trust NA lifted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.4% in the third quarter. Dakota Community Bank & Trust NA now owns 3,566 shares of the company’s stock worth $299,000 after purchasing an additional 116 shares during the period. Security National Bank of Sioux City Iowa IA lifted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.6% in the third quarter. Security National Bank of Sioux City Iowa IA now owns 3,402 shares of the company’s stock worth $286,000 after purchasing an additional 119 shares during the period. Investors Research Corp boosted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 1.3% during the 3rd quarter. Investors Research Corp now owns 9,325 shares of the company’s stock valued at $783,000 after purchasing an additional 120 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Trust Point Inc. increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. Trust Point Inc. now owns 14,834 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,245,000 after purchasing an additional 120 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Merck & Co., Inc.

In related news, EVP David Michael Williams sold 8,614 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $83.59, for a total transaction of $720,044.26. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 24,578 shares of the company’s stock, 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 the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have weighed in on MRK shares. Citigroup began coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Monday, October 13th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $95.00 price objective for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $92.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Scotiabank lifted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “sector outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 4th. Bank of America upped their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $102.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, December 12th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $108.00.

About Representative Cisneros

Gil Cisneros (Democratic Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing California’s 31st Congressional District. He assumed office on January 3, 2025. His current term ends on January 3, 2027.

Cisneros (Democratic Party) is running for re-election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 31st Congressional District. He declared candidacy for the 2026 election.

Gil Cisneros served in the U.S. Navy as a supply officer from 1994 to 2004. Cisneros earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from George Washington University in 1994, a master’s in business administration from Regis University in 2002, and a master’s degree in urban education policy from Brown University in 2015. His career experience includes working as a logistics manager for Frito-Lay. In 2010, Cisneros won the lottery and became involved in activism and philanthropy, founding a scholarship program for local high school students. In 2021, President Joe Biden (D) appointed Cisneros as under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness.

About Merck & Co., Inc.

Merck & Co, Inc is a health care company, which engages in the provision of health solutions through its prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies, animal health, and consumer care products. It operates through the following segments: Pharmaceutical, Animal Health, and Other. The Pharmaceutical segment includes human health pharmaceutical and vaccine products.