Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Stock Sold by M&G PLC

Key Points

• M&G PLC reduced its Merck stake by 86.6% in the third quarter, selling 182,653 shares and retaining 28,312 shares valued at about $4.1 million.
• Merck reported quarterly EPS of $2.49, above the $2.09 consensus, and revenue of $18.09 billion, up 4.7% year over year and ahead of estimates.
• Executive Vice President Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares for $1.35 million, reducing his holdings by 21.45%; institutional investors collectively own about 76.07% of Merck stock.

M&G PLC cut its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 86.6% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 28,312 shares of the company's stock after selling 182,653 shares during the period. M&G PLC's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $4,105,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in MRK. Bullseye Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 2nd quarter worth $27,000. Curry Webb Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the third quarter worth $29,000. Horizons Wealth Management acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the third quarter valued at $30,000. Graney & King LLC increased 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 valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the period. Finally, Montgomery Financial Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the second quarter valued at about $41,000. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.00, for a total transaction of $1,350,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 36,613 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,942,755. This trade represents a 21.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.17% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE MRK opened at $148.00 on Wednesday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $146.39 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $128.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a current ratio of 1.35. The firm has a market cap of $364.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 152.57, a PEG ratio of 6.78 and a beta of 0.13. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1 year low of $87.26 and a 1 year high of $156.92.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 29th. The company reported $2.49 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.09 by $0.40. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 16.73% and a net margin of 3.64%. The company had revenue of $18.09 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $17.33 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.58 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.84 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Key Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck reported positive Phase 2b results for efinopegdutide in patients with MASH and moderate-to-advanced liver fibrosis. The investigational drug could broaden Merck’s future growth opportunities, though it remains in clinical development. Article
• Positive Sentiment: Merck started a Phase 3 trial of OHTUVAYRE for COPD maintenance and said the FDA granted priority review to sacituzumab tirumotecan for endometrial cancer. Progress across these programs could support its pipeline, although neither development guarantees commercial success. Article
• Neutral Sentiment: A dividend-stock comparison notes that Merck and Gilead raised their 2026 sales outlooks after third-quarter results. It offers limited new company-specific information about MRK beyond that update. Article
• Neutral Sentiment: The reported FDA approval of PIMJETMI (pimicotinib) concerns Merck KGaA, the Germany-based company—not Merck & Co. (MRK)—so it should not be treated as a direct catalyst for MRK. Article
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst commentary warns that 2027 growth could be pressured by generic competition, weaker vaccine demand and slowing Keytruda growth. Those risks may weigh on near-term expectations, even as Merck’s expanding pipeline offers longer-term potential. Article

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MRK has been the subject of several research analyst reports. UBS Group upped their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, August 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $165.00 to $175.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, October 30th. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $179.00 to $177.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 7th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, September 4th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Saturday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $155.74.

Merck & Co., Inc. Profile

Merck & Co., Inc. is a global pharmaceutical company that develops and markets prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies and animal-health products. The company's research and commercial activities span areas including oncology, infectious diseases, vaccines, cardiovascular disease and immunology. Its products include the cancer medicine Keytruda and the Gardasil vaccine. Founded in the United States in 1891, Merck & Co. became an independent company in 1917. It is headquartered in Rahway, New Jersey, and operates internationally.

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