Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp Sells 825,324 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp cut its Merck stake by 33.7%, selling 825,324 shares in Q4 and now holds 1,625,314 shares (about 0.07% of Merck) valued at roughly $171.08 million.
• Merck slightly beat the most recent quarterly estimates with EPS of $2.04 (vs. $2.01) and $16.40 billion in revenue, and set FY2026 guidance of 5.00–5.15 EPS (analysts average 4.89).
• Analyst sentiment has trended positive with price-target increases (Wells Fargo to $150, UBS/Guggenheim raising targets), leaving an average target of $128.47 and a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy."

Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp reduced its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 33.7% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,625,314 shares of the company's stock after selling 825,324 shares during the quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp owned about 0.07% of Merck & Co., Inc. worth $171,082,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 302.3% in the 3rd quarter. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 354 shares of the company's stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 266 shares in the last quarter. United Financial Planning Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Wealth Watch Advisors INC bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $34,000. Dunhill Financial LLC boosted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 83.0% in the 3rd quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 419 shares of the company's stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 190 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Silicon Valley Capital Partners boosted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 160.5% in the 3rd quarter. Silicon Valley Capital Partners now owns 422 shares of the company's stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 260 shares in the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of MRK opened at $110.28 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $272.38 billion, a PE ratio of 15.15, a P/E/G ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 0.26. The company has a current ratio of 1.54, a quick ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $118.39 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $107.18. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1-year low of $73.31 and a 1-year high of $125.14.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.04 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.01 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $16.40 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.19 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 28.08% and a return on equity of 44.57%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 5.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.72 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.000-5.150 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 4.89 EPS for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently commented on MRK shares. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $135.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Wolfe Research raised Merck & Co., Inc. from a "peer perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $135.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. UBS Group upped their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, April 13th. Finally, Guggenheim upped their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $122.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $128.47.

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

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, CMO Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.41, for a total transaction of $1,184,100.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief marketing officer directly owned 70,615 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,361,522.15. The trade was a 12.40% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 37,685 shares of the business's 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 160,174 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $19,368,240.08. This represents a 19.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 320,176 shares of company stock worth $38,281,735. 0.17% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Key Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Regulatory and pipeline wins — U.S. antitrust waiting period expired for Merck’s Terns acquisition and the company reported proof‑of‑concept CADENCE data for Winrevair plus EU approval of ENFLONSIA for infant RSV prevention; these clear regulatory and clinical hurdles strengthen growth optionality. Merck Advances Terns Deal And Cardiovascular And RSV Growth Options
• Positive Sentiment: Addressable markets expanding — analysis points to steady growth in peripheral T‑cell lymphoma and highlights Keytruda among key drugs in that expanding landscape, supporting durable demand for Merck’s oncology franchise. Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma Market to Witness Significant Expansion
• Positive Sentiment: Earnings‑beat track record — several previews note Merck’s strong history of beating estimates and argue the company has the setup to surprise again, which could fuel upside if Q1 results beat. Will Merck (MRK) Beat Estimates Again in Its Next Earnings Report?
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst previews emphasize metrics beyond EPS — revenue mix, Keytruda unit trends, biosimilar offset guidance and Qlex launch uptake will be watched; these are informational and will shape near-term sentiment depending on the print. Exploring Analyst Estimates for Merck (MRK) Q1 Earnings, Beyond Revenue and EPS
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector M&A activity heating up — Organon’s sale to Sun Pharma highlights active deal flow in pharma; this is a broader market dynamic that can influence valuation multiples but is not specific to Merck’s near‑term fundamentals. Organon Agrees to Be Acquired by Sun Pharmaceutical
• Negative Sentiment: Near‑term earnings uncertainty — some previews show conservative/negative EPS scenarios for Q1 that could trigger downside if Merck misses on revenue or margin items; that uncertainty is likely contributing to the intraday pullback. Buy, Sell or Hold MRK Stock With Q1 Earnings Around the Corner?

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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