86,836 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Acquired by NBT Bank N.A.

Key Points

• NBT Bank acquired 86,836 Merck shares worth approximately $12.6 million during the third quarter. Institutional investors collectively own 76.07% of MRK.
• Merck’s latest quarterly results exceeded expectations, with adjusted EPS of ($0.13) versus the consensus estimate of ($0.26) and revenue of $16.61 billion, up 5.1% year over year.
• The company pays a quarterly dividend of $0.85 per share, or $3.40 annually, yielding about 2.3%. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating with an average price target of $151.92.

NBT Bank N.A. purchased a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 86,836 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $12,618,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the second quarter valued at approximately $11,470,000. Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.0% during the second quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 2,578,024 shares of the company's stock worth $331,931,000 after buying an additional 51,393 shares in the last quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. grew its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 7.0% during the second quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 6,184,340 shares of the company's stock worth $794,577,000 after buying an additional 402,011 shares in the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company increased its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 12.3% during the 2nd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 2,073,176 shares of the company's stock worth $266,403,000 after acquiring an additional 227,589 shares during the period. Finally, Talon Private Wealth LLC bought a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 2nd quarter worth $995,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $147.40 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $146.79 and a 200-day moving average of $130.07. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1-year low of $82.01 and a 1-year high of $156.92. The company has a current ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. The company has a market cap of $363.67 billion, a PE ratio of 117.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.92 and a beta of 0.21.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last posted 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 business had revenue of $16.61 billion for 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%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. 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 research analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.66 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, October 5th. Rothschild & Co Redburn upped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Wolfe Research increased their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $155.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 25th. Barclays raised their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald raised their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $120.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, October 8th. Seventeen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $151.92.

Insider Activity

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, EVP Richard Deluca sold 11,699 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $131.63, for a total value of $1,539,939.37. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 110,167 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $14,501,282.21. This trade represents a 9.60% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 80,315 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.46, for a total value of $10,718,839.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 45,509 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,073,631.14. The trade was a 63.83% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 228,238 shares of company stock valued at $29,977,783. Corporate insiders own 0.17% of the company's stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck and Moderna reported Phase 3 INTerpath-001 results showing that intismeran autogene combined with KEYTRUDA reduced the risk of melanoma recurrence or death by 42%, while also improving distant metastasis-free survival. The data met market expectations and could support a future expansion of Merck’s oncology pipeline beyond KEYTRUDA. Moderna, Merck shares fall on eagerly anticipated cancer vaccine results
• Positive Sentiment: The European Commission approved KEYTRUDA plus Padcev as perioperative treatment for adults with resectable muscle-invasive bladder cancer. The wider label expands the addressable market for Merck’s leading oncology franchise and may help offset future pressure from slowing KEYTRUDA growth. European Commission approves KEYTRUDA plus Padcev
• Neutral Sentiment: Trading activity included approximately 37,444 MRK call options, about 40% above average daily volume, indicating increased speculative interest but not establishing a clear direction for the shares.
• Negative Sentiment: An apparent early leak of the melanoma-vaccine data caused volatility and appears to have prompted profit-taking. Investors may have expected a larger-than-reported benefit despite the statistically and clinically positive results, creating a sell-the-news response ahead of the formal ESMO presentation. Moderna, Merck shares fall after possible melanoma data leak
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts expect Merck’s upcoming third-quarter earnings to decline, limiting near-term enthusiasm and reinforcing concerns about moderating KEYTRUDA growth. Zacks also reportedly downgraded MRK from “hold” to “strong sell,” adding pressure to sentiment.

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MRK? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report).

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.