1,133,024 Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Sold by Assenagon Asset Management S.A.

Assenagon Asset Management S.A. lessened its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 41.9% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,569,968 shares of the company's stock after selling 1,133,024 shares during the period. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. owned approximately 0.06% of Merck & Co., Inc. worth $228,132,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of MRK. BlackRock Inc. lifted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.5% in the 2nd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 226,999,837 shares of the company's stock valued at $29,169,479,000 after acquiring an additional 1,073,507 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.9% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 120,413,256 shares of the company's stock valued at $15,573,754,000 after acquiring an additional 1,087,583 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.3% in the 2nd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 86,249,283 shares of the company's stock valued at $11,083,033,000 after acquiring an additional 1,934,312 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 10.5% during the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 30,774,221 shares of the company's stock worth $3,701,831,000 after acquiring an additional 2,919,780 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. boosted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.5% during the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 20,546,185 shares of the company's stock worth $2,162,691,000 after acquiring an additional 701,249 shares during the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 1.2%

Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $145.66 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $359.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.91, a P/E/G ratio of 6.81 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 $145.26 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $129.12.

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. The company had revenue of $16.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $16.37 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 16.73% and a net margin of 4.77%. The business's revenue was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.13 earnings per share. 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 2.66 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th were issued a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s payout ratio is currently 272.00%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MRK has been the topic of a number of research reports. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $142.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 20th. Wolfe Research raised their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $155.00 to $180.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 25th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 25th. Berenberg Bank lifted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $127.00 to $137.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, September 11th. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $143.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. Seventeen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $151.92.

Key Stories Impacting Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck plans to present first-time pivotal Phase 3 data at ESMO 2026 for oncology programs including melanoma and endometrial cancer. The company will also hold an oncology investor event, potentially giving investors greater visibility into growth opportunities beyond Keytruda. What Could Merck Reveal At ESMO 2026 About Its Oncology Pipeline?
• Positive Sentiment: CEO Rob Davis said Merck and Moderna expect manufacturing of their personalized cancer vaccine to become faster over time. Improving production efficiency could support broader commercialization of the vaccine, although manufacturing remains complex. Merck CEO Tells CNBC He Expects Breakthrough Cancer Vaccine Will Become Faster to Make
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts expect Keytruda sales growth, newer product launches and expanded indications to support third-quarter revenue. However, biosimilar competition is expected to become a more significant risk in 2028–2029, making pipeline execution increasingly important. Will Keytruda Continue to Aid Merck's Top Line in Q3 Earnings?
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck’s dividend yield is about 2.3%, but comparisons with Amgen highlight differing levels of dividend coverage and cash-flow flexibility. The analysis may influence income-focused investors but does not introduce a new company-specific catalyst. AMGN vs. MRK: Which Pharma Giant's Dividend Actually Has Room to Grow
• Negative Sentiment: Merck trades at a premium valuation of roughly 5.5 times sales, increasing the market’s expectations for sustained growth. Investors are also monitoring the changing emphasis in management’s strategy and continuing challenges for the Gardasil vaccine business in China. How Has Merck's Story Changed?

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP David R. Maraldo sold 18,706 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $128.72, for a total transaction of $2,407,836.32. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 18,212 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,344,248.64. This represents a 50.67% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP David Williams sold 52,847 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was 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 owned 31,716 shares in the company, valued at $4,084,069.32. The trade was a 62.49% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders sold 228,238 shares of company stock worth $29,977,783. 0.17% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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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