New York State Teachers Retirement System Sells 69,134 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• New York State Teachers Retirement System trimmed its Merck stake by 3.2%, selling 69,134 shares and now owns 2,072,922 shares (about 0.08% of Merck) valued at roughly $218.2 million.
• Merck Q1 results beat revenue and slightly topped EPS estimates (GAAP loss of $1.28 vs. -$1.31 expected) with $16.29 billion in revenue, and management set FY2026 EPS guidance of $5.04–5.16 amid a consensus "Moderate Buy" analyst view and $128.47 price target.
• Insider selling has been notable recently, with insiders disposing of 320,176 shares (~$38.3 million) in the last three months, including sales by the CEO and CMO.

New York State Teachers Retirement System decreased its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 3.2% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,072,922 shares of the company's stock after selling 69,134 shares during the period. New York State Teachers Retirement System owned approximately 0.08% of Merck & Co., Inc. worth $218,196,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of MRK. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 302.3% during the 3rd quarter. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 354 shares of the company's stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 266 shares in the last quarter. United Financial Planning Group LLC bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the third quarter worth about $31,000. Wealth Watch Advisors INC bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the third quarter worth about $34,000. Dunhill Financial LLC boosted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 83.0% during the third quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 419 shares of the company's stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 190 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Silicon Valley Capital Partners boosted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 160.5% during the third quarter. Silicon Valley Capital Partners now owns 422 shares of the company's stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 260 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Up 0.3%

Merck & Co., Inc. stock traded up $0.36 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $111.31. The stock had a trading volume of 3,238,248 shares, compared to its average volume of 11,207,297. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $274.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.23 and a beta of 0.26. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12-month low of $73.31 and a 12-month high of $125.14. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $117.94 and its 200-day moving average price is $107.38.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($1.31) by $0.03. The business had revenue of $16.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $15.91 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 28.08% and a return on equity of 44.57%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.22 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 4.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently commented on MRK shares. Guggenheim boosted their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $122.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $150.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $135.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $142.00 price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Monday, March 30th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, April 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Merck & Co., Inc. has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $128.47.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, CEO Robert M. Davis sold 47,434 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.04, for a total value of $5,599,109.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 443,602 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $52,362,780.08. The trade was a 9.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CMO Chirfi Guindo sold 20,000 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.88, for a total transaction of $2,437,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief marketing officer directly owned 80,615 shares of the company's stock, valued at $9,825,356.20. This trade represents a 19.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders sold 320,176 shares of company stock valued at $38,281,735. 0.17% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Key Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat revenue and consensus loss estimates; Keytruda and newer products drove sales growth and management raised adjusted profit outlook — this supports upside to near‑term fundamentals and investor confidence. Merck beats quarterly estimates on strength of Keytruda and new products, narrows outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Merck announced first patient dosed in two Phase 3 trials of enpatoran for lupus skin disease — a late‑stage clinical milestone that could add a new growth opportunity if successful. Merck Announces First Dose in Phase 3 Study with Enpatoran
• Positive Sentiment: Guggenheim reaffirmed a Buy rating on MRK — a third‑party vote of confidence that can support investor demand. Guggenheim Reaffirms Their Buy Rating on Merck & Company (MRK)
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck updated FY‑2026 guidance to EPS $5.040–5.160 and revenue $65.8B–$67.0B — roughly in line with consensus (EPS ~5.07; revenue ~66.5B), so guidance neither materially surprises to the upside nor signals major downside. Merck Announces First-Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Some analysts (Erste Group) trimmed FY estimates marginally — small model adjustments that are unlikely to drive a large re‑rating by themselves. Erste Group cuts FY2026 EPS estimate
• Negative Sentiment: GAAP Q1 showed a loss because of an acquisition‑related (Cidara) charge, offsetting otherwise stronger product sales — the one‑time charge creates headline risk and can pressure near‑term stock reactions despite operating growth. Merck posts quarterly loss due to Cidara charge, sales rise 5%

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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