Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Bought by AMG National Trust Bank

Key Points

• AMG National Trust Bank raised its stake in Merck by 18.7% in Q4, buying 14,226 shares to hold 90,499 shares worth $9.526 million, and institutional investors now own about 76.07% of MRK.
• Merck recently beat Q results with $2.04 EPS (vs. $2.01 est.) and set FY2026 guidance of 5.000–5.150 EPS; analysts rate the stock a "Moderate Buy" with an average target of $128.47 and top targets up to $142.

AMG National Trust Bank raised its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 18.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 90,499 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 14,226 shares during the quarter. AMG National Trust Bank's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $9,526,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of MRK. DLD Asset Management LP grew its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 30.1% during the 3rd quarter. DLD Asset Management LP now owns 47,500,000 shares of the company's stock worth $3,986,675,000 after acquiring an additional 11,000,000 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 16.6% in the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 19,844,936 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,665,585,000 after purchasing an additional 2,821,766 shares in the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 20.7% during the third quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 15,933,909 shares of the company's stock worth $1,336,877,000 after purchasing an additional 2,735,459 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.9% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 254,322,763 shares of the company's stock worth $26,770,014,000 after purchasing an additional 2,185,853 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Van ECK Associates Corp grew its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 61.6% in the third quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 5,325,033 shares of the company's stock worth $446,930,000 after purchasing an additional 2,029,342 shares in the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently weighed in on the company. Zacks Research raised Merck & Co., Inc. from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. TD Cowen lifted their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Monday, December 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $142.00 price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday, March 30th. Finally, Guggenheim raised their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $122.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. One 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 presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $128.47.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Regulatory and pipeline wins — U.S. antitrust waiting period expired for Merck’s Terns acquisition and the company reported proof‑of‑concept CADENCE data for Winrevair plus EU approval of ENFLONSIA for infant RSV prevention; these clear regulatory and clinical hurdles strengthen growth optionality. Merck Advances Terns Deal And Cardiovascular And RSV Growth Options
• Positive Sentiment: Addressable markets expanding — analysis points to steady growth in peripheral T‑cell lymphoma and highlights Keytruda among key drugs in that expanding landscape, supporting durable demand for Merck’s oncology franchise. Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma Market to Witness Significant Expansion
• Positive Sentiment: Earnings‑beat track record — several previews note Merck’s strong history of beating estimates and argue the company has the setup to surprise again, which could fuel upside if Q1 results beat. Will Merck (MRK) Beat Estimates Again in Its Next Earnings Report?
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst previews emphasize metrics beyond EPS — revenue mix, Keytruda unit trends, biosimilar offset guidance and Qlex launch uptake will be watched; these are informational and will shape near-term sentiment depending on the print. Exploring Analyst Estimates for Merck (MRK) Q1 Earnings, Beyond Revenue and EPS
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector M&A activity heating up — Organon’s sale to Sun Pharma highlights active deal flow in pharma; this is a broader market dynamic that can influence valuation multiples but is not specific to Merck’s near‑term fundamentals. Organon Agrees to Be Acquired by Sun Pharmaceutical
• Negative Sentiment: Near‑term earnings uncertainty — some previews show conservative/negative EPS scenarios for Q1 that could trigger downside if Merck misses on revenue or margin items; that uncertainty is likely contributing to the intraday pullback. Buy, Sell or Hold MRK Stock With Q1 Earnings Around the Corner?

Insider Activity at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, insider Johannes Jacobus Oosthuizen sold 15,000 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. 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 sale, the insider owned 21,197 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,583,278.39. The trade was a 41.44% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP David Michael Williams sold 5,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.91, for a total value of $609,550.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 30,838 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,759,460.58. This trade represents a 13.95% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 320,176 shares of company stock valued at $38,281,735. Company insiders own 0.17% of the company's stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

Shares of MRK opened at $110.28 on Tuesday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1 year low of $73.31 and a 1 year high of $125.14. The company has a market cap of $272.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.27 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. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $118.39 and a 200-day moving average of $107.18.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.04 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.01 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $16.40 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.19 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 28.08% and a return on equity of 44.57%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.72 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.000-5.150 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 4.89 earnings per share for the current year.

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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