Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Sold by Boston Trust Walden Corp

Key Points

• Boston Trust Walden Corp trimmed its Merck stake by 3.0% in Q4, selling 14,563 shares and leaving it with 465,618 shares valued at about $49.01 million.
• Shares down 3.8% after a late‑stage Merck/Eisai combination therapy failed to meet primary endpoints in the Phase 3 LITESPARK‑012 trial, triggering a corporate update and near‑term uncertainty for that oncology program.
• Despite the setback, Merck beat quarterly EPS expectations ($2.04 vs. $2.01), set FY2026 guidance of 5.00–5.15 EPS, pays a 3.0% dividend yield, and recently received several regulatory wins (FDA approval/priority reviews and EU approvals) that could support future growth.

Boston Trust Walden Corp reduced its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 3.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 465,618 shares of the company's stock after selling 14,563 shares during the quarter. Boston Trust Walden Corp's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $49,011,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in MRK. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 29.5% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 38,278 shares of the company's stock worth $3,808,000 after acquiring an additional 8,710 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 52.2% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 11,494 shares of the company's stock worth $910,000 after acquiring an additional 3,941 shares in the last quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC boosted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 94.1% during the 2nd quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC now owns 32,256 shares of the company's stock worth $2,590,000 after acquiring an additional 15,636 shares in the last quarter. Diversify Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 22.2% during the 2nd quarter. Diversify Wealth Management LLC now owns 38,031 shares of the company's stock worth $3,054,000 after acquiring an additional 6,897 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 111.7% during the 2nd quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 681,128 shares of the company's stock worth $53,918,000 after acquiring an additional 359,356 shares in the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: FDA approves IDVYNSO (doravirine/islatravir), a once‑daily two‑drug HIV single‑tablet regimen for virologically suppressed adults — adds a new, potentially valuable HIV product to Merck’s commercial portfolio. FDA Approves Merck's Once-Daily IDVYNSO™ (doravirine/islatravir)
• Positive Sentiment: FDA grants priority review to supplemental BLAs for KEYTRUDA (and KEYTRUDA QLEX) in combination with Padcev for cisplatin‑eligible muscle‑invasive bladder cancer — a regulatory fast track that could meaningfully expand Keytruda’s labeled uses if approved. FDA Grants Priority Review for KEYTRUDA® … with Padcev®
• Positive Sentiment: EU approves ENFLONSIA for infant RSV protection — another vaccine/antibody approval that broadens Merck’s preventive‑care offerings and potential pediatric revenue streams. Merck Wins EU Approval for ENFLONSIA to Protect Infants from RSV
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck launched a portfolio of bio‑based HPLC solvents (sustainability / product‑line extension) — small commercial impact but supportive of ESG/industrial positioning. Merck Launches First Bio-Based Solvent Portfolio for High-Performance Liquid Chromatography
• Negative Sentiment: Merck/Eisai combination therapy in advanced renal cell carcinoma failed to meet primary endpoints in a late‑stage study — a significant clinical setback that likely prompted today’s selling pressure and raises questions about near‑term oncology growth assumptions. Merck-Eisai's combination cancer therapy fails to meet main goals of late-stage study
• Negative Sentiment: Corporate update on the Phase 3 LITESPARK‑012 trial (Merck/Eisai) accompanies the failure, reinforcing the clinical disappointment and near‑term uncertainty for that program. Merck and Eisai Provide Update on Phase 3 LITESPARK-012 Trial

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 3.8%

Shares of NYSE MRK opened at $112.63 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $278.18 billion, a PE ratio of 15.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 0.26. The company has a quick ratio of 1.30, a current ratio of 1.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52-week low of $73.31 and a 52-week high of $125.14. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $119.02 and a 200 day moving average price of $106.48.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.01 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $16.40 billion during 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%.The business's revenue was up 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.72 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.000-5.150 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 4.93 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Wolfe Research raised Merck & Co., Inc. from a "peer perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $135.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. 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 research report on Friday, February 13th. Cantor Fitzgerald upped their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $116.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Wall Street Zen raised Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, March 28th. Finally, UBS Group upped their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, April 13th. One investment 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 stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $128.47.

Insider Transactions at Merck & Co., Inc.

In related news, CMO Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.41, for a total value of $1,184,100.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief marketing officer directly owned 70,615 shares of the company's stock, valued at $8,361,522.15. This represents a 12.40% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Johannes Jacobus Oosthuizen sold 15,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.87, for a total value of $1,828,050.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 21,197 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,583,278.39. This represents a 41.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 320,176 shares of company stock worth $38,281,735. Insiders own 0.09% of the company's stock.

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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