24,447 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Purchased by B.A. Schrock Wealth Management Inc.

Key Points

• B.A. Schrock Wealth Management purchased 24,447 Merck shares worth approximately $3.5 million in the third quarter, making MRK about 1.2% of its portfolio. Institutional investors collectively own 76.07% of Merck.
• Merck reported quarterly revenue of $16.61 billion and EPS of $(0.13), beating analyst expectations, while revenue increased 5.1% year over year. The company reaffirmed fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $2.66–$2.76.
• Merck pays a quarterly dividend of $0.85 per share, equivalent to a 2.3% annualized yield, while insiders sold about $30 million of stock over the past 90 days. Analysts maintain a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating with an average price target of $151.92.

B.A. Schrock Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 24,447 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,516,000. Merck & Co., Inc. makes up approximately 1.2% of B.A. Schrock Wealth Management Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 28th largest position.

Several other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of MRK. BlackRock Inc. raised its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.5% in the second quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 226,999,837 shares of the company's stock worth $29,169,479,000 after buying an additional 1,073,507 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp increased 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 worth $15,573,754,000 after purchasing an additional 1,087,583 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.3% during 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 purchasing an additional 1,934,312 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its holdings in shares of 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 valued at $3,701,831,000 after purchasing an additional 2,919,780 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.5% during the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 20,546,185 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,162,691,000 after purchasing an additional 701,249 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, EVP Chirfi Guindo sold 15,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $131.00, for a total value of $1,965,000.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 46,613 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,106,303. This represents a 24.35% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 20,784 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 134,703 shares in the company, valued at $17,569,312.29. The trade was a 13.37% decrease in their position. 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 90 days. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of NYSE MRK opened at $147.47 on Thursday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52 week low of $82.01 and a 52 week high of $156.92. The business's 50 day moving average price is $144.91 and its 200 day moving average price is $128.93. The company has a quick ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 1.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. The firm has a market cap of $363.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 117.97, a P/E/G ratio of 6.56 and a beta of 0.21.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last issued its 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 firm had revenue of $16.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $16.37 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 4.77% and a return on equity of 16.73%. The firm's revenue was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.13 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.66 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the company. Wolfe Research increased their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $155.00 to $180.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 25th. TD Cowen boosted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $137.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 23rd. Berenberg Bank upped their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $127.00 to $137.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, September 11th. Rothschild & Co Redburn upped their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, July 6th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein increased their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $105.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Seventeen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $151.92.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Keytruda and pipeline catalysts support Q3 optimism. Continued Keytruda sales growth, expanded indications and newer launches could help Merck exceed third-quarter expectations. Will Keytruda Continue to Aid Merck's Top Line in Q3 Earnings?
• Positive Sentiment: Oncology pipeline data is an important longer-term catalyst. Merck plans to present first-time pivotal Phase 3 results from three studies and more than 90 additional abstracts at ESMO 2026, potentially providing evidence of growth opportunities as Keytruda eventually faces biosimilar pressure. Merck ESMO 2026 Oncology Pipeline Announcement
• Positive Sentiment: Management sounded constructive on the Moderna cancer vaccine partnership. CEO Rob Davis said manufacturing of the personalized cancer vaccine should become faster and more efficient as Merck and Moderna refine the complex production process. Merck CEO Discusses Cancer Vaccine Manufacturing
• Positive Sentiment: Leerink Partners initiated or reiterated a Buy rating on Merck, adding favorable analyst sentiment. Merck Gets a Buy Rating from Leerink Partners

Merck & Co., Inc. Company Profile

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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