APG Asset Management N.V. Decreases Holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

APG Asset Management N.V. trimmed its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 6.4% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 1,780,828 shares of the company’s stock after selling 120,916 shares during the quarter. APG Asset Management N.V.’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $149,465,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Dakota Community Bank & Trust NA grew its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.4% during the 3rd quarter. Dakota Community Bank & Trust NA now owns 3,566 shares of the company’s stock valued at $299,000 after purchasing an additional 116 shares during the period. Security National Bank of Sioux City Iowa IA boosted its holdings in shares of 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 buying an additional 119 shares during the last quarter. Investors Research Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 1.3% in the third quarter. Investors Research Corp now owns 9,325 shares of the company’s stock worth $783,000 after buying an additional 120 shares during the last quarter. Trust Point Inc. grew its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.8% during the third quarter. Trust Point Inc. now owns 14,834 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,245,000 after buying an additional 120 shares during the period. Finally, Washington Trust Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 1.4% during the third quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 8,943 shares of the company’s stock valued at $751,000 after buying an additional 120 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MRK has been the topic of several recent research reports. Wolfe Research upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $135.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Bank of America raised their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, December 15th. Citigroup lifted their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $115.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on 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. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Merck & Co., Inc. presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $125.88.

More Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Late‑stage data: WELIREG® (belzutifan) + LENVIMA® (lenvatinib) cut risk of progression or death by ~30% vs cabozantinib in previously treated advanced renal cell carcinoma — strengthens Merck’s portfolio and potential label/market expansion for belzutifan combos. WELIREG® (belzutifan) Plus LENVIMA® (lenvatinib) Reduced the Risk of Disease Progression or Death by 30% Compared to Cabozantinib in Certain Previously Treated Patients With Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC)
• Positive Sentiment: Adjuvant benefit: KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab) + WELIREG® showed a ~28% reduction in risk of recurrence or death vs KEYTRUDA alone in certain earlier‑stage RCC patients — could broaden adjuvant use and support longer‑term Keytruda revenue. KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab) Plus WELIREG® (belzutifan) Given as Adjuvant Therapy Reduced the Risk of Disease Recurrence or Death by 28% Compared to KEYTRUDA Monotherapy in Certain Patients With Earlier-Stage Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC)
• Positive Sentiment: KEYTRUDA combos show survival gains: Final KEYNOTE‑B96 analysis reported significant overall survival improvement for KEYTRUDA + paclitaxel (± bevacizumab) in platinum‑resistant recurrent ovarian cancer — strengthens case for additional approvals/uses. KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab) Plus Paclitaxel With or Without Bevacizumab Significantly Improved Key Secondary Endpoint of Overall Survival (OS) Versus Paclitaxel With or Without Bevacizumab in Patients With Platinum-Resistant Recurrent Ovarian Cancer
• Positive Sentiment: Neoadjuvant/adjuvant progress: KEYTRUDA + Padcev reduced event‑free survival events by 47% and deaths by 35% in cisplatin‑eligible muscle‑invasive bladder cancer — another high‑impact potential indication. KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab) Plus Padcev® (enfortumab vedotin-ejfv) Reduced Risk of Event-Free Survival Events by 47% and Risk of Death by 35% for Cisplatin-Eligible Patients with Muscle-Invasive-Bladder-Cancer When-Given Before-and-After Surgery
• Positive Sentiment: Pipeline collaborations: Synthekine is testing its IL‑2 candidate STK‑012 with Keytruda and chemo in PD‑L1 negative NSCLC — external partnerships expand combo opportunities for Keytruda. Synthekine Announces Clinical Trial Collaboration with Merck to Evaluate STK-012 In Combination with Keytruda® (Pembrolizumab) and Chemotherapy in Ongoing Randomized Phase 2 Trial in First-Line, PD-L1 Negative Nonsquamous Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst/coverage support: Royal Bank of Canada began coverage and publicly said Merck could return to growth sooner than the market expects — can lift sentiment and estimates. RBC Capital Sees Merck (MRK) Returning to Growth Sooner Than Market Expects
• Neutral Sentiment: Corporate restructure: Merck is reorganizing into Oncology and Specialty/Pharma & Infectious Diseases teams ahead of Keytruda’s patent cliff — strategic but execution and cost implications will determine investor reaction. Merck Reshapes Drug Business As Keytruda Era Nears Turning Point
• Negative Sentiment: Gardasil sales weakness: Merck notified layoffs of ~150 workers at a US Gardasil manufacturing site amid sluggish Gardasil sales — signals vaccine revenue pressure even as cost cuts are implemented. Merck to lay off around 150 employees at US site amid slump in Gardasil sales
• Negative Sentiment: Retail sentiment cooling: Coverage notes Reddit trader enthusiasm has faded recently — a minor headwind to retail‑driven momentum but unlikely to change fundamentals. Merck Stock Jumps But Reddit Traders Are Getting Cold Feet

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

NYSE:MRK opened at $123.45 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $112.93 and a 200 day moving average price of $97.39. The stock has a market capitalization of $305.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.96, a P/E/G ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.28. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12-month low of $73.31 and a 12-month high of $125.14. The company has a current ratio of 1.54, a quick ratio of 1.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.04 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.01 by $0.03. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 44.57% and a net margin of 28.08%.The company had revenue of $16.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $16.19 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.72 EPS. The firm’s 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. Equities research analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Activity

In related 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 transaction of $5,599,109.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 443,602 shares of the company’s stock, 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 legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 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 owned 160,174 shares in the company, valued at approximately $19,368,240.08. This represents a 19.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 320,176 shares of company stock valued at $38,281,735 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

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.