Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Sold by Teacher Retirement System of Texas

Key Points

• Teacher Retirement System of Texas cut its Merck stake by 9.9% in Q4, selling 85,347 shares and retaining 777,967 shares valued at about $81.89 million.
• Merck struck a multi‑year partnership with Google Cloud that could total up to $1 billion to deploy agentic AI across R&D, manufacturing and commercial functions, and also won FDA Priority Review for a KEYTRUDA regimen and approval for the HIV drug IDVYNSO—moves that could boost productivity and near‑term revenue.
• Merck beat quarterly EPS estimates ($2.04 vs. $2.01), set FY2026 guidance of $5.00–$5.15 EPS, pays a $0.85 quarterly dividend (≈3.0% yield), and carries a MarketBeat consensus of “Moderate Buy” with a $128.47 target.

Teacher Retirement System of Texas lowered its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 9.9% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 777,967 shares of the company's stock after selling 85,347 shares during the quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas' holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $81,889,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. DLD Asset Management LP lifted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 30.1% in the 3rd quarter. DLD Asset Management LP now owns 47,500,000 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,986,675,000 after acquiring an additional 11,000,000 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. raised its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 16.6% during the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 19,844,936 shares of the company's stock worth $1,665,585,000 after buying an additional 2,821,766 shares during the period. Ameriprise Financial Inc. raised its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 20.7% during the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 15,933,909 shares of the company's stock worth $1,336,877,000 after buying an additional 2,735,459 shares during the period. Van ECK Associates Corp raised its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 61.6% during the 3rd quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 5,325,033 shares of the company's stock worth $446,930,000 after buying an additional 2,029,342 shares during the period. Finally, Danske Bank A S acquired a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 3rd quarter worth about $159,973,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Monday, December 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $150.00 target price on the stock in a report on Friday, February 13th. Zacks Research upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. Citigroup upped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, March 20th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald upped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $116.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Merck & Co., Inc. has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $128.47.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Up 0.3%

NYSE:MRK opened at $112.87 on Thursday. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $118.89 and its 200 day moving average price is $106.53. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52 week low of $73.31 and a 52 week high of $125.14. The company has a market capitalization of $278.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.50, a P/E/G ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 0.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 1.30 and a current ratio of 1.54.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.04 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.01 by $0.03. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 44.57% and a net margin of 28.08%.The firm had revenue of $16.40 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.19 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.72 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.000-5.150 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 4.93 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

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

Key Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck announced a multi‑year partnership with Google Cloud that could total up to $1 billion to deploy agentic AI (Gemini Enterprise) across R&D, manufacturing and commercial functions — a strategic investment that could accelerate productivity, R&D efficiency and long‑term margins. Merck to partner with Google Cloud on AI initiatives
• Positive Sentiment: The FDA granted Priority Review to supplemental BLAs for KEYTRUDA and KEYTRUDA QLEX in combination for cisplatin‑eligible muscle‑invasive bladder cancer — a faster regulatory path that could expand Keytruda’s label and near‑term revenue potential if approved. Merck Gains FDA Priority Review for KEYTRUDA Regimen in Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer
• Positive Sentiment: The FDA approved Merck’s once‑daily two‑drug HIV regimen IDVYNSO (doravirine/islatravir), adding a new commercial product to the company’s portfolio and supporting non‑oncology revenue diversification. FDA Approves Merck's Once-Daily IDVYNSO
• Positive Sentiment: Sources report Merck among bidders interested in Inhibrx’s experimental cancer drug tied to Keytruda — potential M&A could add high‑value oncology assets and pipeline upside if a deal materializes. Merck, rivals eye deal for Inhibrx experimental cancer drug tied to Keytruda
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck is listed among companies developing therapies in the expanding polycythemia vera market (bomedemstat), a long‑horizon opportunity but with multiple competitors and development risk. Polycythemia Vera Market Set for Transformation
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck launched a bio‑based solvent portfolio for HPLC — a niche product innovation that may modestly support commercial/business solutions but is unlikely to move near‑term earnings. Merck Launches First Bio-Based Solvent Portfolio for HPLC
• Negative Sentiment: Merck and partner Eisai reported a late‑stage triplet Keytruda‑based therapy failed to meet primary endpoints in first‑line advanced renal cell carcinoma (LITESPARK‑012 update), triggering an investor selloff tied to near‑term oncology growth uncertainty. MRK Down as Triplet Therapy Fails to Meet Goal in Kidney Cancer Study

Insider Transactions at Merck & Co., Inc.

In related news, CFO Caroline Litchfield sold 41,997 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.61, for a total value of $5,023,261.17. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 90,192 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,787,865.12. This represents a 31.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CMO Chirfi Guindo sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.88, for a total value of $2,437,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief marketing officer owned 80,615 shares in the company, valued at $9,825,356.20. This represents a 19.88% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 320,176 shares of company stock valued at $38,281,735 in the last ninety days. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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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