KBC Group NV Increases Stock Position in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• KBC Group NV boosted its stake in Merck by 9.2% in Q4, acquiring 107,602 shares to hold 1,278,131 shares worth about $134.5 million (≈0.05% of the company).
• Merck posted a Q result that beat estimates (EPS $2.04 vs. $2.01) with revenue up 5% year‑over‑year and set FY2026 guidance of $5.00–$5.15 EPS, while several brokers raised price targets (consensus target ≈$128.47, some targets as high as $145–$150).
• Insiders sold 320,176 shares totaling ~$38.3 million last quarter, even as Merck pays a $0.85 quarterly dividend ($3.40 annualized, ~2.9% yield).

KBC Group NV lifted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 9.2% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,278,131 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 107,602 shares during the quarter. KBC Group NV owned 0.05% of Merck & Co., Inc. worth $134,535,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Darwin Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 237.4% in the third quarter. Darwin Wealth Management LLC now owns 307 shares of the company's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 216 shares during the last quarter. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 302.3% during the 3rd quarter. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 354 shares of the company's stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 266 shares during the last quarter. United Financial Planning Group LLC purchased a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. Wealth Watch Advisors INC bought a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 3rd quarter valued at $34,000. Finally, Deane Retirement Strategies Inc. bought a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 3rd quarter valued at $35,000. 76.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Down 1.6%

Shares of MRK stock opened at $118.07 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 1.54 and a quick ratio of 1.30. The company has a market cap of $291.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.22, a PEG ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 0.26. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1 year low of $73.31 and a 1 year high of $125.14. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $119.26 and a 200-day moving average price of $105.51.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.04 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.01 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $16.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $16.19 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 44.57% and a net margin of 28.08%.Merck & Co., Inc.'s revenue for the quarter was up 5.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.72 EPS. 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 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 7th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 16th were paid a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 16th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.9%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 46.70%.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 121,573 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.15, for a total transaction of $14,485,422.95. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly 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, CMO Chirfi Guindo sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.88, for a total transaction of $2,437,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief marketing officer directly owned 80,615 shares of the company's stock, valued at $9,825,356.20. This represents a 19.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 320,176 shares of company stock worth $38,281,735. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Trending Headlines about Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: FDA grants priority review to Merck and Daiichi’s BLA for ifinatamab deruxtecan in extensive-stage small cell lung cancer — this accelerates the regulatory timeline for a potentially material oncology asset and could add to future revenue if approved. MRK, Daiichi's BLA for ADC Drug Gets FDA Priority Tag in Lung Cancer
• Positive Sentiment: UBS raised its price target on MRK to $145, signaling bullish analyst sentiment and providing support for longer‑term upside relative to current levels. UBS Group Boosts Merck & Co., Inc. NYSE: MRK Price Target to $145.00
• Positive Sentiment: Keytruda remains the primary growth driver (over half of pharma sales); analysts will be watching Q1 results and guidance for continued uptake from new indications — a clean print would likely stabilize the stock. Will Keytruda Continue to Aid Merck's Top Line in Q1 Earnings?
• Neutral Sentiment: Options/technical coverage: a retail/options piece outlines a bullish diagonal trade targeting $130 by mid‑June — this reflects trader optimism but is speculative and not company‑fundamental. This Merck (MRK) stock bullish diagonal trade targets a price of $130 by June 18
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry tailwinds in animal health highlighted in a market report (Merck’s animal-health unit participates in this market), a long‑term positive structural theme but not an immediate catalyst. Animal Health Market Intelligence Report 2026-2034
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage about Merck KGaA XTRA: MRK appears in the news stream — note this is a different company (German Merck), which can cause ticker confusion among retail investors but does not affect Merck & Co.’s fundamentals. Assessing Merck KGaA XTRA: MRK Valuation After Mixed Recent Share Performance And Healthcare Pipeline Developments
• Negative Sentiment: Media scrutiny of Merck’s patent strategies and pricing for Keytruda (USAToday feature) can increase regulatory and reputational risk; that scrutiny can weigh on sentiment and prompt selling or political/regulatory pressure. How Merck keeps prices for its blockbuster cancer drug sky high
• Negative Sentiment: Near‑term price weakness / market reaction: recent intraday moves show MRK underperforming broader indices, reflecting profit‑taking and caution ahead of earnings/updates. Merck (MRK) Stock Sinks As Market Gains: Here's Why

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages recently commented on MRK. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $150.00 price objective for the company in a report on Friday, February 13th. Wolfe Research raised Merck & Co., Inc. from a "peer perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $135.00 target price on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $135.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, March 28th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $128.47.

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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