Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Sold by Intact Investment Management Inc.

Key Points

• Intact Investment Management trimmed its Merck stake by 8.8% in Q4, selling 17,600 shares and leaving 183,100 shares valued at about $19.27 million, while institutional investors own roughly 76.1% of the stock.
• Significant insider selling occurred recently: EVP David Williams sold 5,000 shares (~$609.6k) and EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 121,573 shares (~$14.49M), with insiders offloading 320,176 shares (~$38.28M) over the last three months.
• Mixed operational picture: Merck beat Q1 revenue and adjusted EPS and gained regulatory approvals (new 2‑drug HIV regimen, RSV prevention) and set FY‑2026 EPS guidance of $5.04–$5.16, but reported a GAAP loss from an acquisition-related charge and noted competitive risks to key products.

Intact Investment Management Inc. reduced its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 8.8% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 183,100 shares of the company's stock after selling 17,600 shares during the period. Intact Investment Management Inc.'s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $19,273,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 302.3% in the 3rd quarter. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 354 shares of the company's stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 266 shares during the period. United Financial Planning Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Wealth Watch Advisors INC acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $34,000. Dunhill Financial LLC lifted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 83.0% in the 3rd quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 419 shares of the company's stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 190 shares during the period. Finally, Silicon Valley Capital Partners lifted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 160.5% in the 3rd quarter. Silicon Valley Capital Partners now owns 422 shares of the company's stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 260 shares during the period. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other news, EVP David Michael Williams sold 5,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 30,838 shares in the company, valued at $3,759,460.58. The trade was a 13.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 121,573 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.15, for a total transaction of $14,485,422.95. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 68,916 shares in the company, valued at $8,211,341.40. This represents a 63.82% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 320,176 shares of company stock valued at $38,281,735 over the last three months. 0.17% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat expectations — Merck posted revenue and adjusted EPS above Street forecasts with Keytruda and Winrevair driving growth; the beats and upbeat commentary lifted investor sentiment. Merck tops Q1 estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Regulatory approvals & pipeline progress expand addressable markets — Merck won FDA approval for a new 2‑drug HIV regimen (IDVYNSO) and EC approval for ENFLONSIA for RSV prevention; the company also dosed the first patient in Phase 3 enpatoran lupus trials, adding long‑term growth optionality. Merck expands beyond oncology
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst action mixed — Wells Fargo trimmed its price target to $145 but kept an Overweight rating, signaling continued confidence despite a modestly lower PT. Wells Fargo lowers PT
• Neutral Sentiment: FY‑2026 guidance and outlook — Merck provided EPS guidance of $5.04–$5.16 and a narrowed sales view ($65.8B–$67.0B). Guidance is close to consensus but tighter ranges mean less revenue upside visibility near term. Merck Q1 financial results
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector context — Biotech peers are mixed (Moderna saw vaccine revenue rebound but its stock fell; Organon missed), so some moves reflect broader healthcare rotation rather than Merck‑specific news. Moderna Covid vaccine drives growth
• Negative Sentiment: Acquisition-related charge produced a GAAP loss — A Cidara-related charge drove a quarterly GAAP loss, which clouds headline profitability despite the operational beat. Merck posts quarterly loss due to Cidara charge
• Negative Sentiment: Longer-term growth risks flagged — Coverage noted potential future pressure from lost sales on some products (e.g., competitive threats to Keytruda, HPV and diabetes medicines) and Merck said it is working on mitigations. That risk keeps some investors cautious. Merck stock falls after earnings

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Up 0.1%

MRK stock opened at $112.30 on Monday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52-week low of $73.31 and a 52-week high of $125.14. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $117.69 and its 200-day simple moving average is $107.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 1.54 and a quick ratio of 1.30. The firm has a market capitalization of $277.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.63, a P/E/G ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 0.18.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of ($1.47) by $0.19. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 13.59% and a return on equity of 26.84%. The business had revenue of $16.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.85 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.22 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 4.9 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently commented on MRK shares. TD Cowen increased their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Guggenheim increased their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $122.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $142.00 target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Monday, March 30th. Barclays started coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Friday, February 20th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $140.00 target price for the company. Finally, UBS Group increased their target price 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. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $128.18.

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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