Comerica Bank Cuts Stock Position in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Comerica Bank trimmed its Merck stake by 3.9%, selling 38,732 shares and ending the quarter with 966,673 shares valued at about $81.13 million.
• Merck beat Q results (EPS $2.04 vs. $2.01 consensus) with revenue of $16.4B (+5% y/y), set FY2026 EPS guidance of $5.00–$5.15, and holds a consensus rating of Moderate Buy with an average price target of $126.81.
• Notable insider selling has occurred—executives recently sold sizable stakes and insiders disposed of 320,176 shares (~$38.3M) in the last 90 days—while bullish pipeline data (WELIREG Phase 3) and analyst upgrades have pushed some price targets as high as $150.

Comerica Bank lessened its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 3.9% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 966,673 shares of the company's stock after selling 38,732 shares during the quarter. Comerica Bank's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $81,133,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Chemung Canal Trust Co. increased its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 21.1% in the third quarter. Chemung Canal Trust Co. now owns 76,338 shares of the company's stock worth $6,407,000 after acquiring an additional 13,285 shares during the period. First Pacific Financial lifted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 14.7% during the third quarter. First Pacific Financial now owns 47,555 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,991,000 after purchasing an additional 6,082 shares during the period. Diversified Trust Co boosted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 9.6% in the third quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 207,838 shares of the company's stock valued at $17,444,000 after purchasing an additional 18,187 shares during the last quarter. Caxton Associates LLP boosted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 23.3% in the second quarter. Caxton Associates LLP now owns 39,421 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,121,000 after purchasing an additional 7,458 shares during the last quarter. Finally, NEOS Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 39.9% in the third quarter. NEOS Investment Management LLC now owns 347,684 shares of the company's stock valued at $29,181,000 after purchasing an additional 99,074 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 0.3%

MRK stock opened at $115.61 on Friday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a one year low of $73.31 and a one year high of $125.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 1.30 and a current ratio of 1.54. The firm's fifty day moving average is $115.26 and its 200 day moving average is $99.58. The firm has a market cap of $285.84 billion, a PE ratio of 15.88, a P/E/G ratio of 2.24 and a beta of 0.27.

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 analysts' consensus estimates of $2.01 by $0.03. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 28.08% and a return on equity of 44.57%. The business had revenue of $16.40 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.19 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.72 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 5.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.000-5.150 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have weighed in on MRK. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $150.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Scotiabank upped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a "sector outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, December 4th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Monday, December 29th. Bank of America lifted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Finally, Citigroup boosted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $115.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $126.81.

Insider Activity at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 37,685 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.92, for a total value of $4,556,870.20. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 160,174 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $19,368,240.08. This trade represents a 19.05% 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 hyperlink. Also, CFO Caroline Litchfield sold 41,997 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.61, for a total value of $5,023,261.17. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 90,192 shares of the company's stock, valued at $10,787,865.12. This trade represents a 31.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 320,176 shares of company stock valued at $38,281,735 in the last ninety days. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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

Merck & Co., Inc. Company 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.

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