Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Sold by Conning Inc.

Conning Inc. trimmed its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 16.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 287,061 shares of the company's stock after selling 57,906 shares during the quarter. Merck & Co., Inc. comprises 1.3% of Conning Inc.'s holdings, making the stock its 9th largest position. Conning Inc.'s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $41,713,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Bullseye Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the second quarter worth $27,000. Curry Webb Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the third quarter worth $29,000. Horizons Wealth Management purchased a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the third quarter worth $30,000. Graney & King LLC raised its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 400.0% during the second quarter. Graney & King LLC now owns 250 shares of the company's stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Montgomery Financial Services LLC acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the second quarter valued at $41,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Leerink Partners upped their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $127.00 to $161.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, September 9th. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $179.00 to $177.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, October 7th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, September 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Citigroup upped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, October 12th. Seventeen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Merck & Co., Inc. presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $153.12.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 80,315 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.46, for a total value of $10,718,839.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 45,509 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,073,631.14. The trade was a 63.83% 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 David Williams sold 52,847 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $128.77, for a total transaction of $6,805,108.19. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 31,716 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,084,069.32. This trade represents a 62.49% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 228,238 shares of company stock valued at $29,977,783 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.17% of the company's stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of NYSE MRK opened at $141.03 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.32 and a quick ratio of 1.10. The stock has a market capitalization of $347.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 112.83, a PEG ratio of 6.74 and a beta of 0.21. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $147.01 and its 200-day simple moving average is $126.31. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12 month low of $82.01 and a 12 month high of $156.92.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.26) by $0.13. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 4.77% and a return on equity of 16.73%. The firm had revenue of $16.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $16.37 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.13 EPS. The business's revenue was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. Analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.64 EPS for the current year.

Key Stories Impacting Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck’s KEYTRUDA reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 43% in a Phase 3 endometrial-cancer trial. The result strengthens the company’s oncology franchise and could support future label expansion and revenue growth. Merck's KEYTRUDA Cuts Progression Risk By 43% In Phase 3 Endometrial Cancer Trial
• Positive Sentiment: Additional oncology readouts, including positive results from the Moderna-partnered melanoma vaccine and other cancer treatments, are providing fresh support for Merck’s pipeline and long-term growth prospects. Merck Gains Fresh Oncology Backing As Valuation Debate Heats Up
• Positive Sentiment: Broker commentary remains broadly constructive, with Barclays forecasting significant appreciation potential and other analysts highlighting KEYTRUDA demand and new-drug growth ahead of the earnings release. Barclays Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Merck
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck is scheduled to report third-quarter results before the market opens on October 29. Investors are focused on KEYTRUDA sales, full-year guidance and management’s outlook for the pipeline. Dear Merck Stock Fans, Mark Your Calendars for October 29
• Neutral Sentiment: The Moderna-Merck melanoma vaccine cut recurrence risk by 42% in a Phase 3 trial, but the outcome reportedly fell short of investor expectations, limiting its immediate effect on MRK. Merck and Moderna's Cancer Vaccine Worked
• Negative Sentiment: Pre-earnings concerns include difficult year-over-year comparisons, declining earnings estimates, weaker Gardasil demand and looming patent exposure. These factors could offset strong KEYTRUDA performance and increase volatility around the report. Is Merck Stock a Buy, Sell or Hold Ahead of Q3 Earnings?

Merck & Co., Inc. Company Profile

Merck & Co, Inc is a global healthcare company that develops, manufactures and markets prescription medicines, vaccines and animal-health products. Its pharmaceutical business focuses on oncology, infectious diseases, cardiology, immunology and other areas of significant medical need. The company serves patients, healthcare providers and institutions in markets worldwide.

Merck's principal products include Keytruda, an immunotherapy used to treat a range of cancers; Gardasil and Gardasil 9, vaccines that help protect against human papillomavirus; and Januvia and Janumet, medicines used to manage type 2 diabetes.

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