Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Shares Up 1.1% on Analyst Upgrade

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) shares rose 1.1% during mid-day trading on Thursday after Guggenheim raised their price target on the stock from $122.00 to $140.00. Guggenheim currently has a buy rating on the stock. Merck & Co., Inc. traded as high as $122.43 and last traded at $119.6190. Approximately 22,887,775 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 61% from the average daily volume of 14,211,467 shares. The stock had previously closed at $118.33.

MRK has been the topic of a number of other reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $110.00 to $111.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 18th. Cantor Fitzgerald raised their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $116.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday. TD Cowen upped their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Bank of America increased their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $119.53.

Insider Buying and Selling at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, CEO Robert M. Davis sold 47,434 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.04, for a total value of $5,599,109.36. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 443,602 shares in the company, valued at approximately $52,362,780.08. This trade represents a 9.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 37,685 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction on Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.92, for a total transaction of $4,556,870.20. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 160,174 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $19,368,240.08. This trade represents a 19.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 188,603 shares of company stock valued at $22,612,212 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results topped estimates (EPS and revenue) and management set FY‑2026 EPS guidance of $5.00–$5.15 while citing growth drivers such as Keytruda, Animal Health and new drug launches — a near-term earnings beat that supports upside. Earnings Beat
• Positive Sentiment: Guggenheim raised its price target from $122 to $140 and kept a Buy rating, giving analysts’ support to the rally and indicating ~15% further upside from recent levels. Guggenheim PT Raise
• Positive Sentiment: Other broker notes are bullish — Citigroup and Scotiabank published favorable outlooks/target increases highlighting execution and price appreciation potential. Citigroup Forecast Scotiabank Lift
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks flags a “subdued” 2026 outlook driven by acquisition-related charges, which mutes the beat; but it still points to Keytruda, Animal Health and new launches as the primary growth levers — a mixed read on near-term margin/earnings progression. Zacks Analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Significant insider selling this week: CEO Robert M. Davis sold ~47,434 shares, CFO Caroline Litchfield ~41,997 shares, EVP Richard Deluca ~37,685 shares, CMO Chirfi Guindo ~20,000 and multiple other senior executives also trimmed positions — large, coordinated filings that may weigh on sentiment despite corporate explanations (e.g., diversification or tax/planned sales). SEC filings: CEO Form 4 CFO Form 4 EVP Form 4

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Merck & Co., Inc.

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Planning Alternatives Ltd. ADV bought a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $224,000. Associated Banc Corp lifted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.6% during the 4th quarter. Associated Banc Corp now owns 101,341 shares of the company’s stock valued at $10,667,000 after acquiring an additional 3,482 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 10.9% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 23,202 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,442,000 after acquiring an additional 2,284 shares during the last quarter. Delta Financial Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 13.9% in the 4th quarter. Delta Financial Advisors LLC now owns 13,707 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,443,000 after acquiring an additional 1,673 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Legato Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 50.8% in the fourth quarter. Legato Capital Management LLC now owns 25,999 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,737,000 after purchasing an additional 8,759 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 1.44, a current ratio of 1.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. The business’s 50-day moving average is $106.58 and its two-hundred day moving average is $93.15. The company has a market capitalization of $302.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.23 and a beta of 0.28.

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

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 7th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 16th will be given a dividend of $0.85 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 16th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.8%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 46.70%.

About Merck & Co., Inc.

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.