Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK is Munich Reinsurance Co Stock Corp in Munich's 4th Largest Position

Key Points

• Munich Reinsurance trimmed its Merck stake by 6.2% in Q4 to 989,918 shares, leaving MRK as its 4th-largest position valued at about $104.99 million (2.6% of holdings).
• Merck beat quarterly estimates with $2.04 EPS and $16.40 billion revenue (up 5% YoY), set FY2026 guidance of 5.000–5.150 EPS, and pays a $0.85 quarterly dividend (≈3.0% yield).
• Analysts are broadly positive, giving Merck a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" with an average target near $128.47 and several firms raising targets up to $150.

Munich Reinsurance Co Stock Corp in Munich decreased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 6.2% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 989,918 shares of the company's stock after selling 65,635 shares during the period. Merck & Co., Inc. accounts for 2.6% of Munich Reinsurance Co Stock Corp in Munich's holdings, making the stock its 4th biggest position. Munich Reinsurance Co Stock Corp in Munich's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $104,991,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of MRK. Darwin Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 237.4% during the third quarter. Darwin Wealth Management LLC now owns 307 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 216 shares during the last quarter. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC lifted 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 valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 266 shares during the last quarter. United Financial Planning Group LLC purchased a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the third quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Wealth Watch Advisors INC purchased a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the third quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Finally, Dunhill Financial LLC lifted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 83.0% during the third 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 last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE MRK opened at $111.83 on Friday. The company's fifty day moving average price is $118.61 and its 200 day moving average price is $106.74. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1 year low of $73.31 and a 1 year high of $125.14. The company has a market capitalization of $276.21 billion, a PE ratio of 15.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 1.30 and a current ratio of 1.54.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.04 earnings per share (EPS) 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 firm had revenue of $16.40 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.19 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.72 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly 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 predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 4.92 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have issued reports on MRK shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $150.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 13th. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, March 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and set a $142.00 price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Monday, March 30th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $135.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $128.47.

Insider Activity

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, insider Johannes Jacobus Oosthuizen sold 15,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.87, for a total transaction of $1,828,050.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 21,197 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,583,278.39. This trade represents a 41.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP David Michael Williams sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.91, for a total transaction of $609,550.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 30,838 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,759,460.58. The trade was a 13.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 320,176 shares of company stock valued at $38,281,735 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.13% of the company's stock.

More Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck announced a multi‑year, enterprise‑wide partnership with Google Cloud to deploy Gemini AI and advanced cloud infrastructure for drug discovery, manufacturing and operations — a strategic move that could improve R&D productivity and long‑term margins. Read More. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Merck won FDA Priority Review for KEYTRUDA regimens in muscle‑invasive bladder cancer — a potential near‑term upsid e for oncology revenue if approved, supporting key growth drivers beyond vaccines. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Regulatory approval momentum: the company secured FDA approval for Idvynso (doravirine + islatravir) for HIV‑1 treatment, and is cited among defensive/counter‑cyclical stock picks — positives for investor sentiment and diversification of approved products. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Progress on M&A: the Hart‑Scott‑Rodino waiting period expired for Merck’s tender offer to acquire Terns Pharmaceuticals, clearing an antitrust procedural hurdle and bringing the acquisition closer to closing — strategic but not immediately earnings‑material. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Vaccines headwinds: reports highlight a sharp slump in Gardasil sales in China and Japan, which pressures MRK’s vaccines revenue into the upcoming Q1 results and raises downside risk to top‑line guidance if the trend persists. Read More. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst expectations: several analyst notes expect a decline in Q1 earnings and flag that Merck may lack the near‑term drivers for an earnings beat — this raises the risk of downside surprise and explains short‑term selling pressure. Read More. Read More.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.