Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Sold by ANTIPODES PARTNERS Ltd

Key Points

• ANTIPODES PARTNERS Ltd cut its Merck stake by 23.9% in the second quarter, selling 343,757 shares and retaining 1.10 million shares valued at about $141 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 76.07% of MRK.
• Merck reported quarterly revenue of $16.61 billion, up 5.1% year over year, and exceeded analysts’ EPS expectations. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.85 per share, equivalent to a 2.2% annual yield.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive, with a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $144.10, although Jefferies and RBC cited valuation, execution risks and Keytruda’s 2028 patent expiry. Merck and Moderna’s successful Phase 3 personalized cancer-therapy results provided a significant potential growth catalyst.

ANTIPODES PARTNERS Ltd decreased its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 23.9% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,097,509 shares of the company's stock after selling 343,757 shares during the period. Merck & Co., Inc. comprises about 2.6% of ANTIPODES PARTNERS Ltd's investment portfolio, making the stock its 11th biggest holding. ANTIPODES PARTNERS Ltd's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $141,030,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $3,997,933,000. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 14.8% in the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 86,435,458 shares of the company's stock worth $9,098,196,000 after purchasing an additional 11,156,354 shares during the period. Cardano Risk Management B.V. acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter worth $1,012,530,000. Jennison Associates LLC bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter valued at $585,192,000. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD increased its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 37.9% during the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 18,753,390 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,973,983,000 after purchasing an additional 5,152,069 shares during the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $135.00, for a total value of $1,350,000.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 36,613 shares in the company, valued at $4,942,755. The trade was a 21.45% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 80,315 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.46, for a total transaction of $10,718,839.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 45,509 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,073,631.14. This trade represents a 63.83% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 228,238 shares of company stock worth $29,977,783 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.17% of the company's stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of MRK stock opened at $152.43 on Monday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1 year low of $77.58 and a 1 year high of $154.49. The firm has a market capitalization of $376.07 billion, a PE ratio of 121.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.40 and a beta of 0.19. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $128.09 and a two-hundred day moving average of $121.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.32.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.26) by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $16.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.37 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 4.77% and a return on equity of 16.73%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s revenue was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.13 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.76 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be issued a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio is presently 272.00%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MRK has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Jefferies Financial Group cut shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, August 19th. Daiwa Securities Group upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $143.00 target price for the company in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. UBS Group upped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $175.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $144.10.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck and Moderna reported that their personalized cancer therapy met key Phase 3 goals, improving recurrence-free and distant metastasis-free survival for high-risk melanoma patients when added to Keytruda. The result is the first major late-stage win for an mRNA cancer vaccine and strengthens the potential for regulatory approval and broader oncology applications. MRK/MRNA's Personalized Cancer Therapy Delivers First Phase III Win
• Positive Sentiment: Several Wall Street firms raised their outlooks for MRK: Goldman Sachs increased its price target to $160 and kept a Buy rating, while BMO raised its target to $170 and UBS lifted its target to $175. Morgan Stanley also upgraded the shares to Overweight with a $179 target after the cancer-trial success.
• Positive Sentiment: Investors see Merck’s newer products, acquired assets and pipeline programs as a potential growth cushion against Keytruda’s eventual patent expiration. The company’s expanding portfolio could help diversify revenue beyond its flagship drug. Can Merck's New Drugs Offer Growth Cushion Ahead of Keytruda LOE?
• Neutral Sentiment: Unusually high options activity indicates heightened investor interest and potential volatility, but it does not by itself establish the direction of the stock.
• Negative Sentiment: RBC Capital Markets downgraded Merck to Sector Perform and set a $150 target, arguing that execution risks and the 2028 Keytruda loss of exclusivity are being underestimated. RBC said near-term catalysts are attractive, but the stock’s valuation leaves limited room for additional gains. Merck upgraded at Morgan Stanley after cancer trial win; RBC downgrades
• Negative Sentiment: Jefferies separately moved Merck from Strong Buy to Hold. The central concern is that the shares have already rallied substantially on the trial news, making the current valuation appear demanding relative to the remaining patent and execution risks.

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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