Merit Financial Group LLC Increases Position in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Merit Financial Group increased its stake in Merck by 12.3% in Q4, acquiring an additional 17,300 shares to hold 158,043 shares valued at $16.64 million.
• Insider selling has been notable recently: CEO Robert M. Davis sold 47,434 shares and EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 37,685 shares, with insiders offloading 320,176 shares worth $38.28 million over the last 90 days (insiders now own 0.13%).
• Merck beat quarterly EPS and revenue expectations, set FY2026 guidance of $5.00–$5.15 EPS, pays a $0.85 quarterly dividend (2.9% yield), and carries a consensus analyst rating of "Moderate Buy" with a $128.47 price target amid several recent price-target upgrades toward ~$140+.

Merit Financial Group LLC lifted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 12.3% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 158,043 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 17,300 shares during the period. Merit Financial Group LLC's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $16,636,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MRK. DLD Asset Management LP grew its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 30.1% during 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 purchasing an additional 11,000,000 shares during the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc increased its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 5.9% in the third quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 20,659,157 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,733,923,000 after purchasing an additional 1,156,112 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 16.6% in the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 19,844,936 shares of the company's stock worth $1,665,585,000 after purchasing an additional 2,821,766 shares during the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. raised its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 20.7% in the third quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 15,933,909 shares of the company's stock worth $1,336,877,000 after purchasing an additional 2,735,459 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nordea Investment Management AB lifted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.0% during the third quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 10,945,187 shares of the company's stock worth $876,600,000 after purchasing an additional 209,759 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at Merck & Co., Inc.

In related news, CEO Robert M. Davis sold 47,434 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.04, for a total transaction of $5,599,109.36. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 443,602 shares in the company, valued at approximately $52,362,780.08. This trade represents a 9.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 37,685 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction on Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.92, for a total transaction of $4,556,870.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 160,174 shares of the company's stock, valued at $19,368,240.08. The trade was a 19.05% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 320,176 shares of company stock worth $38,281,735. Insiders own 0.13% of the company's stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 2.1%

Shares of MRK opened at $115.42 on Friday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52 week low of $73.31 and a 52 week high of $125.14. The company has a quick ratio of 1.30, a current ratio of 1.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89. The company has a market capitalization of $285.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.85, a PEG ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 0.26. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $119.18 and its 200-day moving average price is $105.58.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.04 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.01 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $16.40 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $16.19 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 44.57% and a net margin of 28.08%.Merck & Co., Inc.'s quarterly revenue was up 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.72 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.000-5.150 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 7th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 16th were issued a dividend of $0.85 per share. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 16th. Merck & Co., Inc.'s payout ratio is 46.70%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $142.00 target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday, March 30th. UBS Group raised their price target 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. Barclays assumed coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Friday, February 20th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $140.00 price objective for the company. BMO Capital Markets upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $82.00 to $130.00 in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. Finally, Citigroup raised their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, March 20th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $128.47.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: UBS raised its price target on MRK to $145, which is a direct positive signal from a major sell-side firm and can lift investor sentiment. UBS Boosts MRK Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlights Keytruda as the primary growth driver heading into Q1 results, noting new indications and uptake that could sustain revenue growth — this supports medium-term earnings expectations. Will Keytruda Continue to Aid Merck's Top Line?
• Positive Sentiment: Market chatter and technical traders are bullish on MRK; an options/technical piece highlights a bullish diagonal trade targeting $130, reflecting some traders positioning for a near-term rebound. Bullish Diagonal Trade Targets $130
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks/Yahoo attention pieces note MRK is a trending stock and recap key facts (pipeline, Keytruda dependence, valuation) — useful for retail interest but not new company-specific catalysts. Merck Is a Trending Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry reports cite Merck among major players in the animal-health market outlook — this is incremental, long-term relevance rather than an immediate stock driver. Animal Health Market Intelligence Report
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage of Merck KGaA XTRA: MRK valuation can create ticker/name confusion for casual readers but has no direct impact on U.S.-listed Merck & Co. fundamentals. Assessing Merck KGaA Valuation
• Neutral Sentiment: Other healthcare staffing and small-cap biotech headlines in the feed (Soleo Health, Summit Therapeutics) are peripheral and unlikely to move MRK stock materially. Soleo Health Appointment Summit Therapeutics BLA Acceptance

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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