12,469 Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Sold by Bokf Na

Key Points

• Bokf Na reduced its Merck stake by 10.9% in the third quarter, selling 12,469 shares and retaining 102,438 shares valued at approximately $14.9 million. Institutional investors collectively own 76.07% of Merck.
• Merck’s oncology pipeline remains a key growth driver: KEYTRUDA cut disease progression or death by 43% in a Phase 3 endometrial-cancer trial, while the Moderna-partnered melanoma vaccine reduced recurrence risk by 42%.
• Analysts maintain a broadly positive view, with a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $153.12, though investors face risks from weaker Gardasil demand, difficult comparisons, declining estimates and patent exposure.

Bokf Na reduced its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 10.9% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 102,438 shares of the company's stock after selling 12,469 shares during the period. Bokf Na's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $14,885,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of MRK. BlackRock Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.5% in the second quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 226,999,837 shares of the company's stock valued at $29,169,479,000 after purchasing an additional 1,073,507 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.9% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 120,413,256 shares of the company's stock valued at $15,573,754,000 after purchasing an additional 1,087,583 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.3% during the second quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 86,249,283 shares of the company's stock valued at $11,083,033,000 after purchasing an additional 1,934,312 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 10.5% during the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 30,774,221 shares of the company's stock worth $3,701,831,000 after purchasing an additional 2,919,780 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 23.8% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 15,456,039 shares of the company's stock worth $1,858,938,000 after purchasing an additional 2,969,856 shares during the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck’s KEYTRUDA reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 43% in a Phase 3 endometrial-cancer trial. The result strengthens the company’s oncology franchise and could support future label expansion and revenue growth. Merck's KEYTRUDA Cuts Progression Risk By 43% In Phase 3 Endometrial Cancer Trial
• Positive Sentiment: Additional oncology readouts, including positive results from the Moderna-partnered melanoma vaccine and other cancer treatments, are providing fresh support for Merck’s pipeline and long-term growth prospects. Merck Gains Fresh Oncology Backing As Valuation Debate Heats Up
• Positive Sentiment: Broker commentary remains broadly constructive, with Barclays forecasting significant appreciation potential and other analysts highlighting KEYTRUDA demand and new-drug growth ahead of the earnings release. Barclays Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Merck
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck is scheduled to report third-quarter results before the market opens on October 29. Investors are focused on KEYTRUDA sales, full-year guidance and management’s outlook for the pipeline. Dear Merck Stock Fans, Mark Your Calendars for October 29
• Neutral Sentiment: The Moderna-Merck melanoma vaccine cut recurrence risk by 42% in a Phase 3 trial, but the outcome reportedly fell short of investor expectations, limiting its immediate effect on MRK. Merck and Moderna's Cancer Vaccine Worked
• Negative Sentiment: Pre-earnings concerns include difficult year-over-year comparisons, declining earnings estimates, weaker Gardasil demand and looming patent exposure. These factors could offset strong KEYTRUDA performance and increase volatility around the report. Is Merck Stock a Buy, Sell or Hold Ahead of Q3 Earnings?

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

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, EVP Richard Deluca sold 20,784 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, August 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $130.43, for a total transaction of $2,710,857.12. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 134,703 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $17,569,312.29. This represents a 13.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP David Maraldo sold 18,706 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $128.72, for a total value of $2,407,836.32. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 18,212 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,344,248.64. This represents a 50.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 228,238 shares of company stock valued at $29,977,783 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.17% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Argus upped their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 25th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, October 3rd. UBS Group boosted their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 20th. Cantor Fitzgerald boosted their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $120.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 8th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein upped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $105.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Seventeen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $153.12.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 0.6%

Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $141.03 on Thursday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a twelve month low of $82.01 and a twelve month high of $156.92. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $147.01 and a 200-day moving average price of $126.31. The company has a market capitalization of $347.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 112.83, a P/E/G ratio of 6.74 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. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.26) by $0.13. The company had revenue of $16.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.37 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 4.77% and a return on equity of 16.73%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s quarterly revenue was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.13 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.64 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Profile

Merck & Co, Inc is a global healthcare company that develops, manufactures and markets prescription medicines, vaccines and animal-health products. Its pharmaceutical business focuses on oncology, infectious diseases, cardiology, immunology and other areas of significant medical need. The company serves patients, healthcare providers and institutions in markets worldwide.

Merck's principal products include Keytruda, an immunotherapy used to treat a range of cancers; Gardasil and Gardasil 9, vaccines that help protect against human papillomavirus; and Januvia and Janumet, medicines used to manage type 2 diabetes.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.