Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Sold by Cullen Investment Group LTD.

Cullen Investment Group LTD. cut its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 9.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 117,623 shares of the company’s stock after selling 11,693 shares during the quarter. Merck & Co., Inc. accounts for about 1.7% of Cullen Investment Group LTD.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 12th largest holding. Cullen Investment Group LTD.’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $13,002,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Chemung Canal Trust Co. grew its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 21.1% during the 3rd quarter. Chemung Canal Trust Co. now owns 76,338 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,407,000 after buying an additional 13,285 shares during the last quarter. First Pacific Financial lifted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 14.7% in the third quarter. First Pacific Financial now owns 47,555 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,991,000 after acquiring an additional 6,082 shares during the last quarter. Diversified Trust Co boosted its stake in 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 acquiring an additional 18,187 shares during the period. Caxton Associates LLP boosted its stake in 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 acquiring an additional 7,458 shares during the period. Finally, Coldstream Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 12.7% during the third quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 123,366 shares of the company’s stock valued at $10,364,000 after purchasing an additional 13,940 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on MRK shares. Royal Bank Of Canada assumed coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $142.00 price target on the stock. Cantor Fitzgerald boosted their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $116.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. TD Cowen upped their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Guggenheim increased their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $122.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Finally, Wolfe Research upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $135.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Merck & Co., Inc. currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $127.13.

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Caroline Litchfield sold 41,997 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.61, for a total transaction of $5,023,261.17. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 90,192 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,787,865.12. This trade represents a 31.77% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CMO Chirfi Guindo sold 20,000 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.88, for a total transaction of $2,437,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief marketing officer directly owned 80,615 shares in the company, valued at $9,825,356.20. This represents a 19.88% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 320,176 shares of company stock valued at $38,281,735 over the last quarter. Insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck agreed to acquire Terns Pharmaceuticals for $53.00 per share (~$6.7B) to add TERN-701, an allosteric BCR::ABL1 candidate for chronic myeloid leukemia — seen as a strategic, near-term pipeline boost ahead of Keytruda patent risk. Merck to Acquire Terns Pharmaceuticals press release
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts highlight TERN-701’s disruptive potential in CML; some firms say the deal strengthens Merck’s long-term oncology franchise and could be accretive if the asset delivers. Health Care Roundup: Market Talk
• Positive Sentiment: Broker action: Citi recently raised its price target on MRK to $125 (from $120), signaling continued analyst support amid the M&A and pipeline moves. Citi Raises its Price Target on Merck
• Positive Sentiment: Market backdrop helped equities broadly: risk-on sentiment (hopes for a ceasefire in the Middle East) and lower oil prices supported healthcare stocks, including MRK. Equities Rise, Oil Dips as Traders Weigh Prospects of Iran War Ceasefire
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck announced a multi‑year collaboration with Quotient Therapeutics on IBD target discovery (potential upside, but long‑term and milestone‑driven). Quotient Therapeutics Announces Collaboration with Merck
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck hosted/announced investor and M&A calls to discuss the transaction and strategy — useful for details but not an immediate catalyst beyond confirmation of deal terms. Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) M&A Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Deal risks: reporting notes potential for a bidding contest or activist interest — that could raise acquisition cost or create execution risk; investors may watch for how Merck finances / integrates the asset. Why Merck Might Have A Fight On Its Hands With Its $6.7 Billion Takeover Of Terns

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

MRK opened at $119.33 on Thursday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $116.27 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $101.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 1.54 and a quick ratio of 1.30. The company has a market capitalization of $295.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.25 and a beta of 0.27. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1-year low of $73.31 and a 1-year high of $125.14.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 last year, the firm earned $1.72 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.000-5.150 EPS. Research analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

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

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.