Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Sold by CX Institutional

CX Institutional lowered its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 9.8% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 96,801 shares of the company’s stock after selling 10,533 shares during the period. CX Institutional’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $8,125,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Chemung Canal Trust Co. boosted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 21.1% during the third quarter. Chemung Canal Trust Co. now owns 76,338 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,407,000 after acquiring an additional 13,285 shares during the last quarter. First Pacific Financial lifted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 14.7% in the 3rd quarter. First Pacific Financial now owns 47,555 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,991,000 after purchasing an additional 6,082 shares in the last quarter. Little House Capital LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 1.2% during the 2nd quarter. Little House Capital LLC now owns 25,236 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,998,000 after purchasing an additional 308 shares during the last quarter. Diversified Trust Co grew its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 9.6% in the third quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 207,838 shares of the company’s stock valued at $17,444,000 after purchasing an additional 18,187 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Caxton Associates LLP grew its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 23.3% in the second quarter. Caxton Associates LLP now owns 39,421 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,121,000 after purchasing an additional 7,458 shares in the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, EVP David Michael Williams sold 8,614 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $83.59, for a total value of $720,044.26. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 24,578 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,054,475.02. The trade was a 25.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 0.3%

Shares of NYSE:MRK opened at $108.52 on Thursday. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $98.62 and a 200 day moving average price of $88.62. 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 company has a market capitalization of $269.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.34, a PEG ratio of 1.11 and a beta of 0.29. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12-month low of $73.31 and a 12-month high of $111.46.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $1.94 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.08 by ($0.14). Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 29.63% and a return on equity of 44.54%. Sell-side analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 8th. Investors of record on Monday, December 15th will be given a dividend of $0.85 per share. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 15th. This is an increase from Merck & Co., Inc.’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.81. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio is 44.91%.

Trending Headlines about Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: UBS raised its price target on MRK to $130 and reiterated a “buy” rating, implying ~20% upside and signaling stronger analyst confidence in Merck’s outlook. UBS Price Target Raise
• Positive Sentiment: Merck initiated the Phase 3 KANDLELIT-007 trial for calderasib (MK-1084) in combination with KEYTRUDA for KRAS G12C-mutant advanced NSCLC — a meaningful pipeline advancement that could expand oncology revenue if successful. Phase 3 Trial Announcement
• Positive Sentiment: Merck is set to complete the acquisition of Cidara Therapeutics, adding antifungal assets/technology that could be complementary to Merck’s anti-infectives portfolio. M&A typically supports medium-term growth expectations. Cidara Acquisition
• Positive Sentiment: Corporate PR: Dr. Rasha Kelej of the Merck Foundation was named one of the “100 Most Influential Africans,” a reputational positive though with limited direct market impact. Merck Foundation Recognition
• Neutral Sentiment: Citigroup nudged its target up to $110 but kept a “neutral” rating — a modest signal that some analysts see limited near-term upside. Citi Target Change
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck scheduled its Q4 & full‑year 2025 sales and earnings call for Feb. 3 — a key upcoming catalyst where management guidance and pipeline updates could move the stock. Earnings Call Notice
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst roundup and industry pieces (Benzinga, Zacks, 247WallStreet) are circulating, with some buy-the-dip commentary on medical stocks; these drive attention but contain mixed buy/hold views for MRK. Analyst Roundup
• Neutral Sentiment: Talent move: a former Merck vaccines president was named CEO at Vaxxas — notable for industry dynamics but not a direct negative for Merck. Vaxxas Appointment
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory/market risk: reporting that the U.S. trimmed the childhood vaccine schedule to 11 core shots raises near-term demand concerns for vaccine makers, a potential headwind for Merck’s vaccine revenue. Vaccine Schedule Report

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages recently commented on MRK. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $92.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company raised Merck & Co., Inc. from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and raised their target price for the stock from $90.00 to $125.00 in a research note on Monday, November 24th. Bank of America boosted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $102.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $111.80.

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.