Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Stock Position Lessened by HBW Advisory Services LLC

Key Points

• HBW Advisory Services cut its Merck stake by 31.7% in the third quarter, selling 8,583 shares and retaining 18,454 shares valued at approximately $2.68 million. Institutional investors still own 76.07% of MRK.
• Merck reported quarterly revenue of $16.61 billion, above analyst expectations, while EPS of negative $0.13 also beat estimates. The company reaffirmed fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $2.66–$2.76.
• MRK shares were trading near $147.47, up 3.9%, and analysts maintained a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $151.92; Merck also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.85 per share.

HBW Advisory Services LLC decreased its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 31.7% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 18,454 shares of the company's stock after selling 8,583 shares during the period. HBW Advisory Services LLC's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $2,682,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. BlackRock Inc. grew its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.5% in the 2nd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 226,999,837 shares of the company's stock worth $29,169,479,000 after acquiring an additional 1,073,507 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.9% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 120,413,256 shares of the company's stock valued at $15,573,754,000 after acquiring an additional 1,087,583 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.3% during the second quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 86,249,283 shares of the company's stock valued at $11,083,033,000 after acquiring an additional 1,934,312 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE raised its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 10.5% during the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 30,774,221 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,701,831,000 after acquiring an additional 2,919,780 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.5% during the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 20,546,185 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,162,691,000 after acquiring an additional 701,249 shares during the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Up 3.9%

MRK stock opened at $147.47 on Thursday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $82.01 and a fifty-two week high of $156.92. The business's 50 day moving average price is $144.91 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $128.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.32. The company has a market capitalization of $363.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 117.97, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.56 and a beta of 0.21.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.26) by $0.13. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 16.73% and a net margin of 4.77%. The firm had revenue of $16.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.37 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $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. As a group, analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.66 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th were issued a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio is 272.00%.

More Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Keytruda and pipeline catalysts support Q3 optimism. Continued Keytruda sales growth, expanded indications and newer launches could help Merck exceed third-quarter expectations. Will Keytruda Continue to Aid Merck's Top Line in Q3 Earnings?
• Positive Sentiment: Oncology pipeline data is an important longer-term catalyst. Merck plans to present first-time pivotal Phase 3 results from three studies and more than 90 additional abstracts at ESMO 2026, potentially providing evidence of growth opportunities as Keytruda eventually faces biosimilar pressure. Merck ESMO 2026 Oncology Pipeline Announcement
• Positive Sentiment: Management sounded constructive on the Moderna cancer vaccine partnership. CEO Rob Davis said manufacturing of the personalized cancer vaccine should become faster and more efficient as Merck and Moderna refine the complex production process. Merck CEO Discusses Cancer Vaccine Manufacturing
• Positive Sentiment: Leerink Partners initiated or reiterated a Buy rating on Merck, adding favorable analyst sentiment. Merck Gets a Buy Rating from Leerink Partners

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP David R. Maraldo sold 18,706 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $128.72, for a total transaction of $2,407,836.32. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 18,212 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,344,248.64. The trade was a 50.67% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Chirfi Guindo sold 15,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $131.00, for a total transaction of $1,965,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 46,613 shares in the company, valued at $6,106,303. This represents a 24.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 228,238 shares of company stock valued at $29,977,783 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.17% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MRK has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. TD Cowen raised their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $137.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 23rd. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, August 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, October 5th. Argus increased their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 25th. Finally, Berenberg Bank increased their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $127.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, September 11th. Seventeen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $151.92.

About Merck & Co., Inc.

Merck & Co, Inc is a global healthcare company that develops and markets prescription medicines, vaccines, and animal-health products. The company serves patients, healthcare providers, and customers in markets around the world, with research and commercial operations spanning multiple geographic regions.

Its pharmaceutical portfolio includes oncology, infectious-disease, cardiovascular, immunology, and other therapeutic areas. Key products include Keytruda, an oncology treatment; Gardasil, a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine; Januvia and Janumet for type 2 diabetes; Bridion for anesthesia-related use; and Winrevair for pulmonary arterial hypertension.

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