Gotham Asset Management LLC Acquires 113,226 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Gotham Asset Management increased its Merck stake by 23.6% in Q3, buying 113,226 shares to hold 592,307 shares worth about $49.7 million.
• Large insider selling occurred recently—EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 121,573 shares and insiders sold a total of 320,176 shares (~$38.3 million) over the last quarter.
• Positive operational and analyst catalysts: Merck beat quarterly EPS estimates ($2.04 vs. $2.01), set FY2026 EPS guidance of 5.00–5.15, and has seen analyst upgrades/price-target raises alongside bullish Phase 3 WELIREG oncology data supporting upside potential.

Gotham Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 23.6% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 592,307 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 113,226 shares during the period. Gotham Asset Management LLC's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $49,712,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. One Charles Private Wealth Services LLC boosted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.3% in the 3rd quarter. One Charles Private Wealth Services LLC now owns 3,464 shares of the company's stock worth $291,000 after buying an additional 111 shares during the period. Dakota Community Bank & Trust NA raised its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.4% during the 3rd quarter. Dakota Community Bank & Trust NA now owns 3,566 shares of the company's stock valued at $299,000 after acquiring an additional 116 shares during the period. Security National Bank of Sioux City Iowa IA lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.6% during the third quarter. Security National Bank of Sioux City Iowa IA now owns 3,402 shares of the company's stock worth $286,000 after acquiring an additional 119 shares in the last quarter. Investors Research Corp lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 1.3% during the third quarter. Investors Research Corp now owns 9,325 shares of the company's stock worth $783,000 after acquiring an additional 120 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Trust Point Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.8% in the third quarter. Trust Point Inc. now owns 14,834 shares of the company's stock worth $1,245,000 after acquiring an additional 120 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Key Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 121,573 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.15, for a total value of $14,485,422.95. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 68,916 shares of the company's stock, valued at $8,211,341.40. The trade was a 63.82% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Johannes Jacobus Oosthuizen sold 15,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.87, for a total transaction of $1,828,050.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 21,197 shares in the company, valued at $2,583,278.39. The trade was a 41.44% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 320,176 shares of company stock valued at $38,281,735 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company's stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

NYSE:MRK opened at $115.61 on Monday. The business's 50-day moving average price is $115.26 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $99.79. Merck & Co., Inc. has a twelve month low of $73.31 and a twelve month high of $125.14. The stock has a market cap of $285.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.88, a PEG ratio of 2.24 and a beta of 0.27. The company has a quick ratio of 1.30, a current ratio of 1.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates 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 firm had revenue of $16.40 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.19 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.72 EPS. The company'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 analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced 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 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.9%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s payout ratio is presently 46.70%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on MRK shares. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada started coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $142.00 price objective on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $150.00 target price for the company in a research note on Friday, February 13th. BMO Capital Markets raised Merck & Co., Inc. from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and lifted their target price for the company from $82.00 to $130.00 in a report on Thursday, December 18th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald upped their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $116.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $126.81.

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.

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