Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar Sells Off Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK)

Key Points

• Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar sold $1,001–$15,000 of Merck shares from her UBS IRA on September 24, alongside similarly sized sales of holdings in 10 other companies.
• Merck reported quarterly revenue of $16.61 billion, up 5.1% year over year, and beat adjusted EPS expectations; it also pays a quarterly dividend of $0.85, equivalent to a 2.4% annual yield.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with 17 Buy and 10 Hold ratings and a $151.32 consensus price target, though insider selling and upcoming patent losses remain concerns.

Representative Maria Elvira Salazar (Republican-Florida) recently sold shares of Merck & Co., Inc. NYSE: MRK. In a filing disclosed on October 7th, the Representative disclosed that they had sold between $1,001 and $15,000 in Merck & Co., Inc. stock on September 24th. The trade occurred in the Representative's "UBS IRA ACCOUNT" account.

Representative Maria Elvira Salazar also recently made the following trade(s):

• Sold $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of Citigroup NYSE: C on 9/24/2026.
• Sold $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of Chubb NYSE: CB on 9/24/2026.
• Sold $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of Microsoft NASDAQ: MSFT on 9/24/2026.
• Sold $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of GE Aerospace NYSE: GE on 9/24/2026.
• Sold $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of Honeywell International NASDAQ: HON on 9/24/2026.
• Sold $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of Snowflake NYSE: SNOW on 9/24/2026.
• Sold $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of FedEx NYSE: FDX on 9/24/2026.
• Sold $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of Salesforce NYSE: CRM on 9/24/2026.
• Sold $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of RH NYSE: RH on 9/24/2026.
• Sold $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of Meta Platforms NASDAQ: META on 9/24/2026.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 0.2%

Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $142.45 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $351.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 113.96, a P/E/G ratio of 6.42 and a beta of 0.21. The company has a quick ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 1.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. Merck & Co., Inc. has a twelve month low of $82.01 and a twelve month high of $156.92. The company's 50-day moving average price is $143.59 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $128.16.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.26) by $0.13. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 16.73% and a net margin of 4.77%.The company had revenue of $16.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $16.37 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.13 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.67 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th were paid a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.4%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio is 272.00%.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP David Williams sold 52,847 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $128.77, for a total value of $6,805,108.19. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 31,716 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,084,069.32. The trade was a 62.49% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 80,315 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.46, for a total transaction of $10,718,839.90. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 45,509 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,073,631.14. This trade represents a 63.83% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders sold 228,238 shares of company stock valued at $29,977,783. Company insiders own 0.17% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Merck & Co., Inc.

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Abound Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Bullseye Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the second quarter valued at about $27,000. Horizons Wealth Management acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the third quarter valued at about $30,000. Graney & King LLC lifted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 400.0% during the second quarter. Graney & King LLC now owns 250 shares of the company's stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the period. Finally, Montgomery Financial Services LLC bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the second quarter worth about $41,000. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently weighed in on MRK shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday. Scotiabank increased their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $155.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock a "sector outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 29th. Argus lifted their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 25th. Daiwa Securities Group raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $143.00 target price for the company in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. Finally, TD Cowen upped their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $137.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 23rd. Seventeen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $151.32.

Key Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: The FDA approved WELIREG plus LENVIMA for adults with advanced renal cell carcinoma previously treated with a PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor. The decision expands Merck’s oncology portfolio and could create another commercial opportunity beyond Keytruda. Merck also started a first-in-human trial using Cyprumed’s oral peptide-delivery platform, although that program remains at a very early stage. Merck Wins FDA Approval for WELIREG Plus LENVIMA in Kidney Cancer
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley maintained an “overweight” rating while trimming its price target modestly to $177, implying substantial upside based on the referenced price. The call indicates continued confidence in Merck’s long-term earnings and pipeline prospects. Morgan Stanley Raises Merck Analyst View
• Positive Sentiment: Merck’s shareholder dividend was highlighted as part of its income appeal, which may support investor interest while the company navigates product-cycle and patent risks. Merck Dividend Payment
• Neutral Sentiment: Cantor Fitzgerald raised its price target to $145 but retained a “neutral” rating, suggesting limited near-term upside and a cautious view of Merck’s growth outlook. Cantor Fitzgerald Merck Price Target
• Neutral Sentiment: Articles comparing Innoviva and Merck frame MRK as a large-cap pharmaceutical value candidate, but provide no new company-specific catalyst likely to materially change the stock’s valuation today. INVA vs. MRK: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?
• Negative Sentiment: A Dutch court granted Halozyme an injunction blocking Merck’s subcutaneous Keytruda in eight European markets. The ruling could delay or restrict commercialization of a potentially more convenient Keytruda formulation and heightens litigation risk. Halozyme Wins Court Order Blocking Merck’s Keytruda SC in Europe
• Negative Sentiment: Industry analysis identifies Merck as particularly exposed to near-term generic competition as major products approach patent losses. That raises concerns about revenue durability and increases the importance of successful launches such as WELIREG. Pharma’s $500 Billion Patent Problem

About Representative Salazar

Maria Elvira Salazar (Republican Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing Florida's 27th Congressional District. She assumed office on January 3, 2021. Her current term ends on January 3, 2027. Salazar (Republican Party) ran for re-election to the U.S. House to represent Florida's 27th Congressional District. She won in the general election on November 5, 2024. Maria Elvira Salazar was born in Miami, Florida, and lives in Coral Gables, Florida. Salazar earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Miami in 1983 and a graduate degree from Harvard University in 1995. Her career experience includes working as a television journalist, reporter, and news anchor.

About Merck & Co., Inc.

Merck & Co, Inc is a global healthcare company that develops and markets prescription medicines, vaccines, and animal-health products. The company serves patients, healthcare providers, and customers in markets around the world, with research and commercial operations spanning multiple geographic regions.

Its pharmaceutical portfolio includes oncology, infectious-disease, cardiovascular, immunology, and other therapeutic areas. Key products include Keytruda, an oncology treatment; Gardasil, a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine; Januvia and Janumet for type 2 diabetes; Bridion for anesthesia-related use; and Winrevair for pulmonary arterial hypertension.

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