Milestone Asset Management LLC Sells 9,248 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Milestone Asset Management reduced its Merck stake by 54.5%, selling 9,248 shares and retaining 7,709 shares valued at approximately $1.12 million. Institutional investors collectively own 76.07% of Merck.
• Merck insiders sold 228,238 shares worth nearly $30 million over the past 90 days, including substantial sales by executives Richard Deluca and Jennifer Zachary.
• Analyst sentiment remains favorable, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $151.92, although investors face longer-term risks from Keytruda biosimilars and challenges in the Gardasil business in China.

Milestone Asset Management LLC cut its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 54.5% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 7,709 shares of the company's stock after selling 9,248 shares during the quarter. Milestone Asset Management LLC's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $1,120,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 23.8% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 15,456,039 shares of the company's stock worth $1,858,938,000 after acquiring an additional 2,969,856 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE raised its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 10.5% during the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 30,774,221 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,701,831,000 after purchasing an additional 2,919,780 shares during the last quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC raised its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 114.7% during the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 5,210,548 shares of the company's stock valued at $548,462,000 after purchasing an additional 2,783,482 shares during the last quarter. Employees Provident Fund Board acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter valued at $254,206,000. Finally, Diamant Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 12,130.3% in the 1st quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 2,068,387 shares of the company's stock valued at $248,806,000 after purchasing an additional 2,051,475 shares during the period. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Merck & Co., Inc.

In related news, EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 11,699 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $131.63, for a total value of $1,539,939.37. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 110,167 shares of the company's stock, valued at $14,501,282.21. This represents a 9.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 80,315 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.46, for a total transaction of $10,718,839.90. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 45,509 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,073,631.14. This represents a 63.83% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 228,238 shares of company stock worth $29,977,783 in the last 90 days. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have issued reports on MRK shares. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, October 3rd. Wolfe Research upped their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $155.00 to $180.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 25th. Daiwa Securities Group raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $143.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. Scotiabank increased their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $155.00 to $180.00 and gave the company a "sector outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 29th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $145.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a research note on Monday. Seventeen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $151.92.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck plans to present first-time pivotal Phase 3 data at ESMO 2026 for oncology programs including melanoma and endometrial cancer. The company will also hold an oncology investor event, potentially giving investors greater visibility into growth opportunities beyond Keytruda. What Could Merck Reveal At ESMO 2026 About Its Oncology Pipeline?
• Positive Sentiment: CEO Rob Davis said Merck and Moderna expect manufacturing of their personalized cancer vaccine to become faster over time. Improving production efficiency could support broader commercialization of the vaccine, although manufacturing remains complex. Merck CEO Tells CNBC He Expects Breakthrough Cancer Vaccine Will Become Faster to Make
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts expect Keytruda sales growth, newer product launches and expanded indications to support third-quarter revenue. However, biosimilar competition is expected to become a more significant risk in 2028–2029, making pipeline execution increasingly important. Will Keytruda Continue to Aid Merck's Top Line in Q3 Earnings?
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck’s dividend yield is about 2.3%, but comparisons with Amgen highlight differing levels of dividend coverage and cash-flow flexibility. The analysis may influence income-focused investors but does not introduce a new company-specific catalyst. AMGN vs. MRK: Which Pharma Giant's Dividend Actually Has Room to Grow
• Negative Sentiment: Merck trades at a premium valuation of roughly 5.5 times sales, increasing the market’s expectations for sustained growth. Investors are also monitoring the changing emphasis in management’s strategy and continuing challenges for the Gardasil vaccine business in China. How Has Merck's Story Changed?

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:MRK opened at $145.66 on Friday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1-year low of $82.01 and a 1-year high of $156.92. The firm has a market capitalization of $359.37 billion, a PE ratio of 116.53, a PEG ratio of 6.81 and a beta of 0.21. The business's 50 day moving average is $145.26 and its 200-day moving average is $129.12. The company has a current ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.26) by $0.13. The business had revenue of $16.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $16.37 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 16.73% and a net margin of 4.77%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s quarterly revenue was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.13 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.66 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th were given a dividend of $0.85 per share. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, September 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.'s payout ratio is 272.00%.

Merck & Co., Inc. Profile

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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