Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp Acquires 141,457 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking increased its Merck stake by 8.9%, purchasing 141,457 shares to hold 1.73 million shares worth approximately $222 million. Institutional investors collectively own 76.07% of MRK.
• Merck beat quarterly earnings and revenue expectations, reporting adjusted EPS of $0.13 and revenue of $16.61 billion, up 5.1% year over year. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.85 per share, representing a 2.2% annualized yield.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive after Merck and Moderna reported successful Phase 3 results for their personalized cancer therapy, though some analysts cited valuation concerns and risks tied to Keytruda’s expected 2028 loss of exclusivity.

Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp raised its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 8.9% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,727,562 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 141,457 shares during the quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp owned about 0.07% of Merck & Co., Inc. worth $221,992,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in MRK. Kingdom Financial Group LLC. acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Abound Financial LLC acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Prosperity Bancshares Inc bought a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. High Note Wealth LLC increased its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 58.9% during the 4th quarter. High Note Wealth LLC now owns 294 shares of the company's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 109 shares in the last quarter. Finally, IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

NYSE:MRK opened at $152.43 on Monday. 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 stock's 50-day simple moving average is $128.09 and its 200 day simple moving average is $121.29. The company has a market cap of $376.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 121.94, a P/E/G ratio of 6.40 and a beta of 0.19. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52-week low of $77.58 and a 52-week high of $154.49.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last released 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. The business had revenue of $16.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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 revenue was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.13 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.76 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.85 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio is currently 272.00%.

More Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck and Moderna reported that their personalized cancer therapy met key Phase 3 goals, improving recurrence-free and distant metastasis-free survival for high-risk melanoma patients when added to Keytruda. The result is the first major late-stage win for an mRNA cancer vaccine and strengthens the potential for regulatory approval and broader oncology applications. MRK/MRNA's Personalized Cancer Therapy Delivers First Phase III Win
• Positive Sentiment: Several Wall Street firms raised their outlooks for MRK: Goldman Sachs increased its price target to $160 and kept a Buy rating, while BMO raised its target to $170 and UBS lifted its target to $175. Morgan Stanley also upgraded the shares to Overweight with a $179 target after the cancer-trial success.
• Positive Sentiment: Investors see Merck’s newer products, acquired assets and pipeline programs as a potential growth cushion against Keytruda’s eventual patent expiration. The company’s expanding portfolio could help diversify revenue beyond its flagship drug. Can Merck's New Drugs Offer Growth Cushion Ahead of Keytruda LOE?
• Neutral Sentiment: Unusually high options activity indicates heightened investor interest and potential volatility, but it does not by itself establish the direction of the stock.
• Negative Sentiment: RBC Capital Markets downgraded Merck to Sector Perform and set a $150 target, arguing that execution risks and the 2028 Keytruda loss of exclusivity are being underestimated. RBC said near-term catalysts are attractive, but the stock’s valuation leaves limited room for additional gains. Merck upgraded at Morgan Stanley after cancer trial win; RBC downgrades
• Negative Sentiment: Jefferies separately moved Merck from Strong Buy to Hold. The central concern is that the shares have already rallied substantially on the trial news, making the current valuation appear demanding relative to the remaining patent and execution risks.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP David R. Maraldo sold 18,706 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $128.72, for a total value of $2,407,836.32. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 18,212 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,344,248.64. This trade represents a 50.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 80,315 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on 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 in the company, valued at approximately $6,073,631.14. The trade was a 63.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 228,238 shares of company stock worth $29,977,783 in the last quarter. 0.17% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently commented on MRK. Wall Street Zen upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday. Daiwa Securities Group upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $143.00 price objective for the company in a report on Wednesday, August 12th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Jefferies Financial Group cut Merck & Co., Inc. from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 19th. Finally, CICC Research started coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $138.00 price target for the company. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $144.10.

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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