Schroder Investment Management Group Buys 85,833 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Schroder Investment Management Group increased its Merck stake by 5.8% in Q3, buying 85,833 shares to hold 1,574,051 shares valued at about $132.1 million (≈0.06% of the company).
• Several other large institutions also adjusted positions — including Charles Schwab, Franklin Resources, Norges Bank and new capital from DLD — and institutional investors now own about 76.07% of Merck.
• Analysts collectively rate Merck a "Moderate Buy" with an average price target of $125.88; the company recently beat quarterly EPS expectations ($2.04 vs. $2.01), set FY2026 guidance of 5.000–5.150 EPS, and pays a $0.85 quarterly dividend (≈2.9% yield).

Schroder Investment Management Group grew its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 5.8% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,574,051 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 85,833 shares during the quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group owned 0.06% of Merck & Co., Inc. worth $132,110,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in MRK. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 9.4% during the 2nd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 53,865,466 shares of the company's stock worth $4,263,991,000 after acquiring an additional 4,636,183 shares during the period. DLD Asset Management LP acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $2,889,340,000. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the second quarter worth approximately $2,858,570,000. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 23.5% in the second quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 27,032,601 shares of the company's stock worth $2,139,901,000 after purchasing an additional 5,135,748 shares during the period. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.3% in the 2nd quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 25,013,697 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,980,084,000 after buying an additional 567,900 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently issued reports on MRK. Cantor Fitzgerald upped their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $116.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Royal Bank Of Canada started coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $142.00 price target for the company. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $102.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised 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. Finally, Citigroup upped their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $115.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Merck & Co., Inc. has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $125.88.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

MRK stock opened at $117.18 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $114.42 and a 200-day moving average of $98.93. The firm has a market capitalization of $289.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.24 and a beta of 0.27. The company has a current ratio of 1.54, a quick ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12 month low of $73.31 and a 12 month high of $125.14.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.04 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.01 by $0.03. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 28.08% and a return on equity of 44.57%. The company had revenue of $16.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $16.19 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.72 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc.'s revenue for the quarter was up 5.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.000-5.150 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Transactions at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, insider Johannes Jacobus Oosthuizen sold 15,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.87, for a total value of $1,828,050.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 21,197 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,583,278.39. This represents a 41.44% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 121,573 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.15, for a total value of $14,485,422.95. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 68,916 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $8,211,341.40. The trade was a 63.82% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders sold 320,176 shares of company stock worth $38,281,735. Corporate insiders own 0.09% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck exercised an option on Evaxion’s EVX‑B3 infectious disease vaccine program — a sign of active pipeline expansion and BD activity that can add future revenue potential. Evaxion (EVAX) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
• Positive Sentiment: Merck expanded a multi‑year collaboration with Tempus AI on oncology and drug discovery tools — this reinforces R&D capability and could accelerate discovery programs. Assessing Tempus AI (TEM) Valuation After Expanded Merck Collaboration Announcement
• Positive Sentiment: Market research on Pneumovax 23 highlights expanding adult/geriatric immunization demand and distribution improvements — potential tailwinds for Merck’s vaccine franchise over the medium term. Pneumovax 23 (Merck & Co) Market Research Report 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Headline market move note — outlets flagged MRK trading above the prior close, reflecting today's mixed news flow and investor repositioning. Merck (MRK) Rises Higher Than Market: Key Facts
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry/reporting items: analyses and Dow pieces compare Merck with peers and flag sector shifts — useful context but not single‑handedly market moving for MRK. 2 Dow Jones Stocks to Research Further and 1 Facing Headwinds
• Neutral Sentiment: Factbox: drugmakers are increasing U.S. manufacturing and inventory ahead of potential tariffs — could protect supply but may raise near‑term capex and inventory costs. Factbox-Global drugmakers rush to boost US presence as tariff threat looms
• Negative Sentiment: Big headwind: Gardasil sales plunged ~39% in 2025 (weak demand in China) and management does not expect a rebound in 2026 — a meaningful near‑term drag on Merck’s vaccine revenues and top‑line growth. Will Weak Gardasil Sales Continue to Weigh on MRK's Top Line in 2026?

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.

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