Ninety One UK Ltd Sells 14,696 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Ninety One UK Ltd trimmed its stake in Merck (NYSE:MRK) by 11%, selling 14,696 shares and holding 118,890 shares worth about $12.51 million after the quarter.
• Insiders have been net sellers recently: the CFO sold 41,997 shares and the CMO sold 20,000, with insiders totaling 320,176 shares sold (~$38.28M) in the past 90 days and now owning 0.13% of the company.
• Merck beat Q4 expectations with $2.04 EPS versus $2.01 est. and $16.40B revenue (up 5% YoY), gave FY2026 EPS guidance of $5.00–5.15, and pays a $0.85 quarterly dividend (≈2.9% yield).

Ninety One UK Ltd lowered its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 11.0% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 118,890 shares of the company's stock after selling 14,696 shares during the quarter. Ninety One UK Ltd's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $12,514,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Darwin Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 237.4% in the 3rd quarter. Darwin Wealth Management LLC now owns 307 shares of the company's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 216 shares during the last quarter. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC grew its position 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 acquiring an additional 266 shares during the period. United Financial Planning Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 3rd quarter valued at about $31,000. Wealth Watch Advisors INC acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 3rd quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, Deane Retirement Strategies Inc. acquired a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 3rd quarter worth about $35,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Up 3.1%

Shares of MRK opened at $118.99 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 1.54 and a quick ratio of 1.30. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $119.12 and a 200-day simple moving average of $106.01. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1-year low of $73.31 and a 1-year high of $125.14. The stock has a market cap of $293.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 0.26.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.04 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.01 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $16.40 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations 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 revenue was up 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.72 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.000-5.150 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 7th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 16th were paid a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 16th. Merck & Co., Inc.'s payout ratio is presently 46.70%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, March 28th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $150.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective 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. Finally, Barclays started coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Friday, February 20th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $140.00 price objective on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $128.47.

Key Stories Impacting Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: European Commission approves Merck’s ENFLONSIA (clesrovimab) for prevention of RSV lower respiratory tract disease in infants, giving Merck a new EU commercial opportunity in a pediatric respiratory market. European Commission Approves Merck’s ENFLONSIA
• Positive Sentiment: U.S. FDA grants Priority Review for ifinatamab deruxtecan (co-developed with Daiichi Sankyo) for extensive-stage small cell lung cancer — a potential first-in-class B7-H3 therapy that could materially expand Merck’s oncology franchise if approved. Merck’s Priority Review Cancer Drug Adds To Undervalued Growth Story
• Positive Sentiment: UBS raises its price target on MRK to $145 (from $130) and reiterates a Buy rating, signaling stronger analyst confidence that supports near-term upside and investor sentiment. UBS Raises Merck (MRK) Price Forecast as Part of Sector Preview
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader healthcare sector strength is lifting MRK along with peers today, as the NYSE Health Care Index trades higher — a tailwind but not company-specific. Sector Update: Health Care Stocks Higher Friday Afternoon
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry write-ups and trade ideas (comparisons to Novartis, bullish options strategies) are increasing attention on MRK; these pieces can drive retail interest but are less likely to change fundamentals immediately. Better Pharma Dividend Stock: Novartis vs. Merck

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, CFO Caroline Litchfield sold 41,997 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.61, for a total value of $5,023,261.17. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 90,192 shares in the company, valued at $10,787,865.12. This trade represents a 31.77% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CMO Chirfi Guindo sold 20,000 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 5th. The shares were 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 owned 80,615 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,825,356.20. This trade represents a 19.88% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 320,176 shares of company stock worth $38,281,735 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.13% of the company's stock.

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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