Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Sold by Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc.

Key Points

• Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. cut its Merck stake by 10.1% in the first quarter, selling 702,485 shares and leaving it with 6.27 million shares worth about $754.1 million.
• Analyst sentiment remains upbeat: RBC kept an outperform rating with a $142 target, while Wells Fargo raised its target to $150 and maintained an overweight rating.
• Merck is getting support from product and financial updates, including KEYTRUDA approvals in breast and bladder cancer and a new access deal for its HIV treatment IDVYNSO, even as investors keep an eye on post-KEYTRUDA exclusivity risk.

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. reduced its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 10.1% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 6,269,316 shares of the company's stock after selling 702,485 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. owned about 0.25% of Merck & Co., Inc. worth $754,136,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 1st quarter worth $190,000. CFS Investment Advisory Services LLC grew its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.1% in the first quarter. CFS Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 26,480 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,153,000 after purchasing an additional 544 shares during the period. Seelaus Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the first quarter valued at $295,000. Frank Rimerman Advisors LLC increased its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 6.2% in the first quarter. Frank Rimerman Advisors LLC now owns 37,346 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,492,000 after purchasing an additional 2,186 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Quantum Portfolio Management LLC acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the first quarter valued at $296,000. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed its outperform rating on Merck and set a $142 price target, signaling meaningful upside from current levels. Benzinga report on RBC rating
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its price target on Merck to $150 and kept an overweight rating, adding to the bullish analyst tone around the stock. Benzinga report on Wells Fargo price target
• Positive Sentiment: Merck’s recent KEYTRUDA approvals in breast and bladder cancer broaden the drug’s use in difficult-to-treat cancers and strengthen the company’s oncology franchise ahead of future exclusivity losses. Article on KEYTRUDA approvals
• Positive Sentiment: Merck also reached a new access agreement for its HIV treatment IDVYNSO, improving commercial access and adding another supportive development for the valuation story. Article on HIV access deal
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck is trading above both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, which technically supports the stock, but the broader picture still includes patent expiry and vaccine-related concerns. Zacks technical analysis
• Neutral Sentiment: A separate research roundup highlighted Merck alongside other large-cap names, but did not introduce a new company-specific catalyst. Top Research Reports article
• Negative Sentiment: Some commentary noted Merck’s recent pullback and continuing investor focus on its post-Keytruda exclusivity outlook, which remains the main long-term risk to the stock. Article on valuation narrative

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $126.10 on Thursday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a twelve month low of $76.66 and a twelve month high of $130.29. The stock has a market capitalization of $311.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.52, a PEG ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 0.19. The company has a current ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02. The business's fifty day moving average price is $118.27 and its 200 day moving average price is $116.06.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last posted 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. The firm had revenue of $16.29 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.85 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 27.55% and a net margin of 13.59%.The firm's quarterly revenue was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.22 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.19 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th were issued a dividend of $0.85 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.7%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s payout ratio is presently 95.77%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have issued reports on MRK. Weiss Ratings lowered Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Bank of America upped their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $141.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $142.00 price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Wednesday. UBS Group raised their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, April 13th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, July 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $132.11.

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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