Deutsche Bank AG Sells 576,594 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Deutsche Bank reduced its Merck stake by 4.6%, selling 576,594 shares and retaining 11.96 million shares valued at approximately $1.54 billion. Institutional investors overall own 76.07% of MRK.
• Merck shares rose 3.9% to $156.54, near their 52-week high, after the company exceeded quarterly EPS and revenue expectations. The company also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.85 per share, representing a 2.2% annualized yield.
• Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with a $147.60 price target, while recent cancer-vaccine results have strengthened optimism about Merck’s post-KEYTRUDA growth. However, the stock’s rally leaves less room for disappointment, making upcoming clinical and regulatory decisions important.

Deutsche Bank AG cut its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 4.6% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 11,964,180 shares of the company's stock after selling 576,594 shares during the quarter. Deutsche Bank AG owned about 0.48% of Merck & Co., Inc. worth $1,537,397,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. State Street Corp grew its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 1.6% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 120,040,168 shares of the company's stock valued at $12,737,504,000 after buying an additional 1,859,990 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 14.8% in the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 86,435,458 shares of the company's stock worth $9,098,196,000 after purchasing an additional 11,156,354 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 60,047,984 shares of the company's stock worth $6,307,572,000 after buying an additional 249,110 shares in the last quarter. Morgan Stanley raised its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 44,946,021 shares of the company's stock worth $4,731,018,000 after buying an additional 359,486 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter valued at $3,997,933,000. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Up 3.9%

Shares of NYSE MRK opened at $156.54 on Wednesday. The firm's fifty day moving average is $129.64 and its 200 day moving average is $121.80. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52 week low of $77.58 and a 52 week high of $156.92. 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 company has a market cap of $386.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 125.23, a PEG ratio of 6.32 and a beta of 0.19.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.26) by $0.13. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 4.77% and a return on equity of 16.73%. The business had revenue of $16.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.37 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.13 EPS. The company's revenue was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.76 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be paid a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 272.00%.

Insider Activity at Merck & Co., Inc.

In related news, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 80,315 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.46, for a total transaction of $10,718,839.90. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 45,509 shares in the company, valued at $6,073,631.14. The trade was a 63.83% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP David Michael Williams sold 52,847 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $128.77, for a total transaction of $6,805,108.19. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 31,716 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,084,069.32. This represents a 62.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 228,238 shares of company stock worth $29,977,783 over the last 90 days. 0.17% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MRK has been the subject of a number of research reports. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued a "neutral" rating and issued a $120.00 price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Scotiabank increased their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $136.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a "sector outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. CICC Research began coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $138.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $147.60.

More Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Positive topline INTerpath-001 results strengthened expectations that the vaccine could extend KEYTRUDA’s growth runway and create a potentially important new oncology franchise. Merck Surges on a Melanoma Win
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised their valuation expectations: Wolfe Research increased its price target to $180 and assigned an “outperform” rating, while Argus raised its target to $170 and reiterated a “buy” rating. Wolfe Research Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Investors are also anticipating a concentrated series of regulatory decisions and clinical readouts this fall, which could produce additional upside if Merck’s pipeline delivers. What Would It Take to Get MRK Stock to $200?
• Neutral Sentiment: The cancer-vaccine opportunity remains early. The available evidence is limited, and potential barriers include manufacturing complexity, cost, patient selection, and the need for regulatory review and broader clinical validation. How the Merck/Moderna Cancer Vaccine Works
• Negative Sentiment: After the recent rally, MRK is trading near or above several analysts’ prior targets, leaving less room for disappointment and making future gains increasingly dependent on successful trial results, FDA decisions, and evidence that the post-KEYTRUDA growth strategy can scale.

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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