Berkeley Inc Trims Stock Holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Berkeley Inc trimmed its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 70.6% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 3,573 shares of the company’s stock after selling 8,586 shares during the quarter. Berkeley Inc’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $300,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of MRK. Dakota Community Bank & Trust NA boosted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.4% in the 3rd 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 in the last quarter. Security National Bank of Sioux City Iowa IA raised its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.6% during the third quarter. Security National Bank of Sioux City Iowa IA now owns 3,402 shares of the company’s stock valued at $286,000 after buying an additional 119 shares during the last quarter. Investors Research Corp raised its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 1.3% during the third quarter. Investors Research Corp now owns 9,325 shares of the company’s stock valued at $783,000 after buying an additional 120 shares during the last quarter. Trust Point Inc. boosted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.8% in the third quarter. Trust Point Inc. now owns 14,834 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,245,000 after acquiring an additional 120 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Nicolet Bankshares Inc. grew its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.0% in the second quarter. Nicolet Bankshares Inc. now owns 6,169 shares of the company’s stock worth $488,000 after acquiring an additional 121 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

MRK opened at $109.58 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $271.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.48, a PEG ratio of 1.26 and a beta of 0.29. Merck & Co., Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $73.31 and a fifty-two week high of $112.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 1.44 and a current ratio of 1.66. The company has a fifty day moving average of $102.92 and a 200 day moving average of $90.54.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $1.94 earnings per share (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%. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast 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 disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 8th. Investors of record on Monday, December 15th were issued a dividend of $0.85 per share. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date was 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 (DPR) is presently 44.91%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP David Michael Williams sold 8,614 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $83.59, for a total transaction of $720,044.26. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 24,578 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $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 can be accessed through this link. 0.09% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Key Stories Impacting Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: TD Cowen raised its price target on MRK to $120 (from $100) while keeping a “hold” rating, implying roughly mid‑teens upside vs. recent levels — a near‑term analyst tailwind for the stock. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: Moderna and Merck reported five‑year Phase 2b data showing their individualized mRNA cancer vaccine (intismeran autogene) plus KEYTRUDA reduced recurrence or death by ~49% in high‑risk melanoma — a major clinical win that strengthens Merck’s oncology franchise and future revenue/pipeline upside. Moderna, Merck skin cancer vaccine shows sustained benefit
• Positive Sentiment: Market commentary and buy-side interest highlighting Merck’s strategic M&A and pipeline expansion (including recent analyst upgrades and positive articles listing MRK among top oncology/dividend picks) support a bullish narrative around durable cash flow plus growth. Merck poised for breakout
• Neutral Sentiment: Wells Fargo reaffirmed its buy rating on MRK, which reinforces existing bullish views but does not change immediate expectations. Wells Fargo reaffirms buy
• Neutral Sentiment: General investor pieces positioning MRK as a “forever stock” or dividend play highlight defensive qualities and long‑term appeal, which can support multiple expansion but are less likely to drive near‑term moves. MarketBeat forever stocks
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks highlights continued weakness in Gardasil sales—notably in China and Japan—which could pressure Merck’s Q4 revenues and temper upside from pipeline headlines. Will weak Gardasil sales continue?
• Negative Sentiment: Insider/insider-like selling reports (e.g., a disclosure of a Rep. Julie Johnson sale) can add short‑term noise and negative sentiment, though such sales are often routine and historically have limited lasting impact. Rep. Julie Johnson sells MRK shares

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on MRK. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their price target for the stock from $90.00 to $125.00 in a research note on Monday, November 24th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $102.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Bank of America increased their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, December 15th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $110.00 to $111.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 18th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $114.20.

Merck & Co., Inc. Company 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.