Aristotle Capital Management LLC Sells 317,614 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Aristotle Capital Management sold 317,614 shares of Merck in Q3 (a 3.9% reduction), leaving it with 7,817,938 shares—about 0.31% of Merck worth $656.17 million.
• Merck has seen growing bullish analyst activity after positive oncology news (Phase 3 WELIREG data) and large call buying, with multiple firms raising price targets into the $130–$150 range and a consensus rating of Moderate Buy (average target $126.81).
• Operationally, Merck beat quarterly EPS expectations ($2.04 vs. $2.01), provided FY2026 EPS guidance of 5.00–5.15, announced a $0.85 quarterly dividend (2.9% yield), and reported insider sales totaling 320,176 shares in the last quarter.

Aristotle Capital Management LLC lessened its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 3.9% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 7,817,938 shares of the company's stock after selling 317,614 shares during the quarter. Aristotle Capital Management LLC owned approximately 0.31% of Merck & Co., Inc. worth $656,167,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 9.4% in the 2nd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 53,865,466 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,263,991,000 after acquiring an additional 4,636,183 shares during the last quarter. DLD Asset Management LP boosted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 30.1% during the 3rd quarter. DLD Asset Management LP now owns 47,500,000 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,986,675,000 after purchasing an additional 11,000,000 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the second quarter valued at about $2,858,570,000. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 23.5% during the second quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 27,032,601 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,139,901,000 after purchasing an additional 5,135,748 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.3% in the second quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 25,013,697 shares of the company's stock worth $1,980,084,000 after purchasing an additional 567,900 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Unusually large call buying: traders bought ~672,962 call options on Friday (a ~1,339% jump vs. typical daily call volume), signaling heavy bullish speculation or hedging interest that can lift near-term implied volatility and upside pressure on MRK shares.
• Positive Sentiment: Phase 3 WELIREG data and regulatory filings deepen Merck’s oncology growth story — new Phase 3 results for belzutifan (WELIREG) combos with KEYTRUDA or LENVIMA show meaningful improvement in RCC; FDA filings with priority reviews/PDUFA dates for 2026 could expand label and revenue runway. Merck’s WELIREG Kidney Cancer Trials Deepen Oncology Growth Story
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades/price-target raises: Wells Fargo raised its price target to $150 and assigned an overweight rating, and Leerink lifted its target as well — both moves increase institutional demand signals and implied upside for MRK. Benzinga Leerink Raises Merck & Co. Inc. (MRK) Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: RBC Capital maintains a Buy rating, reinforcing analyst support and potentially bolstering demand from long-only managers. RBC Capital Sticks to Its Buy Rating for Merck & Company (MRK)
• Positive Sentiment: Bullish price commentary: coverage and price-target pieces (e.g., 247WallStreet) argue broader upside (some scenarios to $150) based on drug pipeline potential, supporting a favorable narrative among momentum investors. Merck Price Prediction: Sac-TMT Drug Potential Pushes MRK to $150
• Neutral Sentiment: Market report on Ovidrel/Ovitrelle highlights expanding fertility market opportunities that could be a modest long-term tailwind for related Merck products, but it’s not an immediate revenue catalyst. Ovidrel or Ovitrelle Market Research Report 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Misc. coverage items (e.g., stock-picking lists and unrelated biotech moves) mention MRK in broader contexts but are unlikely to materially move the stock on their own. 1 Unpopular Stock That Deserves Some Love and 2 We Avoid ImmunityBio Stock Soars 295% YTD

Analyst Ratings Changes

MRK has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $82.00 to $130.00 in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. Royal Bank Of Canada initiated coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $142.00 price target for the company. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $135.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $150.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Barclays started coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Friday, February 20th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $140.00 target price for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $126.81.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 0.3%

Shares of NYSE:MRK opened at $115.61 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $285.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.88, a PEG ratio of 2.24 and a beta of 0.27. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12 month low of $73.31 and a 12 month high of $125.14. The company has a current ratio of 1.54, a quick ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $115.26 and a 200 day moving average price of $99.68.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.04 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.01 by $0.03. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 44.57% and a net margin of 28.08%.The company had revenue of $16.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $16.19 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.72 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.000-5.150 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 7th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 16th will be issued a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 16th. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.9%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s payout ratio is 46.70%.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Robert M. Davis sold 47,434 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.04, for a total transaction of $5,599,109.36. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 443,602 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $52,362,780.08. The trade was a 9.66% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CMO Chirfi Guindo sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.88, for a total value of $2,437,600.00. Following the sale, the chief marketing officer owned 80,615 shares in the company, valued at $9,825,356.20. The trade was a 19.88% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 320,176 shares of company stock worth $38,281,735. Company insiders own 0.13% of the company's stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Profile

Merck & Co, Inc is a global biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery, development, manufacture and marketing of prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies and animal health products. Its portfolio spans multiple therapeutic areas with a particular emphasis on oncology, vaccines and infectious disease, as well as therapies for metabolic and chronic conditions. Among its well-known products are the cancer immunotherapy Keytruda (pembrolizumab) and the human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil; the company also markets a range of medicines and vaccines for veterinary use through Merck Animal Health.

Founded in the late 19th century as the U.S.

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.