Moran Wealth Management LLC Sells 8,074 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Moran Wealth Management reduced its Merck stake by 3.7%, selling 8,074 shares and retaining 212,218 shares valued at approximately $27.3 million. Institutional investors collectively own 76.07% of MRK.
• Merck reported quarterly revenue of $16.61 billion, exceeding expectations, while adjusted EPS also beat estimates. The company maintained fiscal 2026 guidance of $2.66–$2.76 per share.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive, with several firms raising price targets after encouraging cancer-therapy trial results, although some analysts cited valuation concerns and the expected 2028 Keytruda patent expiration.

Moran Wealth Management LLC lowered its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 3.7% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 212,218 shares of the company's stock after selling 8,074 shares during the quarter. Merck & Co., Inc. accounts for 0.7% of Moran Wealth Management LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 26th largest position. Moran Wealth Management LLC's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $27,270,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in MRK. D.A. Davidson & CO. raised its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 4.4% in the fourth quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 576,959 shares of the company's stock worth $60,731,000 after buying an additional 24,576 shares during the period. Pinnbrook Capital Management LP lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 95.2% during the 4th quarter. Pinnbrook Capital Management LP now owns 23,280 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,450,000 after buying an additional 11,355 shares in the last quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. grew its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 32.6% during the 4th quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 1,301,744 shares of the company's stock valued at $137,022,000 after acquiring an additional 320,143 shares during the period. Handelsbanken Fonder AB grew its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 13.9% during the 4th quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 1,843,042 shares of the company's stock valued at $193,999,000 after acquiring an additional 224,752 shares during the period. Finally, Panagora Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 410.5% in the 4th quarter. Panagora Asset Management Inc. now owns 705,442 shares of the company's stock worth $74,255,000 after acquiring an additional 567,249 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Down 0.1%

MRK stock opened at $152.43 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.32 and a quick ratio of 1.10. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1-year low of $77.58 and a 1-year high of $154.49. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $128.09 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $121.29. The company has a market capitalization of $376.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 121.94, a PEG ratio of 6.40 and a beta of 0.19.

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 the consensus estimate of ($0.26) by $0.13. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 4.77% and a return on equity of 16.73%. The firm had revenue of $16.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $16.37 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.13 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.76 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, EVP Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $135.00, for a total value of $1,350,000.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 36,613 shares in the company, valued at $4,942,755. The trade was a 21.45% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP David R. Maraldo sold 18,706 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $128.72, for a total transaction of $2,407,836.32. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 18,212 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,344,248.64. This trade represents a 50.67% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 228,238 shares of company stock worth $29,977,783. 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: 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.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have commented on MRK. UBS Group raised their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday. CICC Research assumed coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $138.00 price target for the company. Guggenheim increased their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $146.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada cut shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from an "outperform" rating to a "sector perform" rating and lifted their target price for the company from $142.00 to $150.00 in a research note on Thursday. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $144.10.

About Merck & Co., Inc.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

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