Loring Wolcott & Coolidge Fiduciary Advisors LLP MA Sells 18,793 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Loring Wolcott & Coolidge Fiduciary Advisors LLP MA cut its Merck stake by 5.2%, selling 18,793 shares and now holds 345,008 shares worth $37,233,000.
• Merck announced a potential multi‑year partnership with Google Cloud worth up to $1 billion to deploy agentic AI across R&D, manufacturing and commercial functions, and also received FDA priority review for a KEYTRUDA bladder‑cancer regimen while securing approval for the HIV drug IDVYNSO, moves that could accelerate productivity and diversify near‑term revenue.
• Company insiders sold a total of 320,176 shares in the quarter (including large sales by the CFO and an EVP) worth about $38.3 million, even as analysts maintain a "Moderate Buy" consensus with a $128.47 average target price.

Loring Wolcott & Coolidge Fiduciary Advisors LLP MA lowered its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 5.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 345,008 shares of the company's stock after selling 18,793 shares during the period. Loring Wolcott & Coolidge Fiduciary Advisors LLP MA's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $37,233,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MRK. Darwin Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 237.4% in the 3rd quarter. Darwin Wealth Management LLC now owns 307 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 216 shares during the last quarter. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 302.3% during the third quarter. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 354 shares of the company's stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 266 shares in the last quarter. United Financial Planning Group LLC bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the third quarter worth $31,000. Wealth Watch Advisors INC acquired a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the third quarter valued at $34,000. Finally, Dunhill Financial LLC grew its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 83.0% in the 3rd quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 419 shares of the company's stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 190 shares during the period. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $142.00 price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Monday, March 30th. Citigroup upped their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, March 20th. Barclays assumed coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Friday, February 20th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $140.00 target price for the company. Finally, Wolfe Research raised Merck & Co., Inc. from a "peer perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $135.00 price target for the company in a report on Thursday, January 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $128.47.

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

In other news, CFO Caroline Litchfield sold 41,997 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. 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 directly owned 90,192 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,787,865.12. The trade was a 31.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 121,573 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.15, for a total value of $14,485,422.95. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 68,916 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,211,341.40. This trade represents a 63.82% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 320,176 shares of company stock valued at $38,281,735 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.13% of the company's stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

NYSE:MRK opened at $112.87 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $278.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.50, a PEG ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 0.26. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $118.89 and a 200 day simple moving average of $106.53. The company has a current ratio of 1.54, a quick ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1-year low of $73.31 and a 1-year high of $125.14.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.01 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $16.40 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.19 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 44.57% and a net margin of 28.08%.The firm's quarterly revenue was up 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.72 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.000-5.150 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 4.93 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 7th. Investors of record on Monday, March 16th were paid a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 16th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.0%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio is 46.70%.

Trending Headlines about Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck announced a multi‑year partnership with Google Cloud that could total up to $1 billion to deploy agentic AI (Gemini Enterprise) across R&D, manufacturing and commercial functions — a strategic investment that could accelerate productivity, R&D efficiency and long‑term margins. Merck to partner with Google Cloud on AI initiatives
• Positive Sentiment: The FDA granted Priority Review to supplemental BLAs for KEYTRUDA and KEYTRUDA QLEX in combination for cisplatin‑eligible muscle‑invasive bladder cancer — a faster regulatory path that could expand Keytruda’s label and near‑term revenue potential if approved. Merck Gains FDA Priority Review for KEYTRUDA Regimen in Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer
• Positive Sentiment: The FDA approved Merck’s once‑daily two‑drug HIV regimen IDVYNSO (doravirine/islatravir), adding a new commercial product to the company’s portfolio and supporting non‑oncology revenue diversification. FDA Approves Merck's Once-Daily IDVYNSO
• Positive Sentiment: Sources report Merck among bidders interested in Inhibrx’s experimental cancer drug tied to Keytruda — potential M&A could add high‑value oncology assets and pipeline upside if a deal materializes. Merck, rivals eye deal for Inhibrx experimental cancer drug tied to Keytruda
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck is listed among companies developing therapies in the expanding polycythemia vera market (bomedemstat), a long‑horizon opportunity but with multiple competitors and development risk. Polycythemia Vera Market Set for Transformation
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck launched a bio‑based solvent portfolio for HPLC — a niche product innovation that may modestly support commercial/business solutions but is unlikely to move near‑term earnings. Merck Launches First Bio-Based Solvent Portfolio for HPLC
• Negative Sentiment: Merck and partner Eisai reported a late‑stage triplet Keytruda‑based therapy failed to meet primary endpoints in first‑line advanced renal cell carcinoma (LITESPARK‑012 update), triggering an investor selloff tied to near‑term oncology growth uncertainty. MRK Down as Triplet Therapy Fails to Meet Goal in Kidney Cancer Study

About Merck & Co., Inc.

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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