State Street Corp Has $15.57 Billion Position in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• State Street increased its Merck position by 0.9% to 120.4 million shares valued at $15.57 billion, while institutional investors collectively own 76.07% of MRK.
• Wall Street maintains a “Moderate Buy” consensus, with 17 Buy and seven Hold ratings and an average price target of $154.24. Analysts recently raised targets as Merck advances WINREVAIR, KEYTRUDA QLEX and the KEYTRUDA-PADCEV combination.
• Merck shares traded near their 52-week high at $151.23, but the stock’s elevated 121.02 P/E ratio and recent insider selling highlight valuation and profit-taking risks. The company also pays a quarterly dividend of $0.85, for a 2.2% annualized yield.

State Street Corp increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 0.9% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 120,413,256 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 1,087,583 shares during the quarter. State Street Corp owned 4.88% of Merck & Co., Inc. worth $15,573,754,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of MRK. BlackRock Inc. lifted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.5% in the 2nd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 226,999,837 shares of the company's stock valued at $29,169,479,000 after acquiring an additional 1,073,507 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.3% in the second quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 86,249,283 shares of the company's stock valued at $11,083,033,000 after purchasing an additional 1,934,312 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 60,047,984 shares of the company's stock valued at $6,307,572,000 after purchasing an additional 249,110 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter worth $3,997,933,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 10.5% in the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 30,774,221 shares of the company's stock worth $3,701,831,000 after purchasing an additional 2,919,780 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 80,315 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.46, for a total transaction of $10,718,839.90. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 45,509 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,073,631.14. This trade represents a 63.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Richard Deluca sold 20,784 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, August 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $130.43, for a total value of $2,710,857.12. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 134,703 shares of the company's stock, valued at $17,569,312.29. This trade represents a 13.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 228,238 shares of company stock valued at $29,977,783 in the last ninety days. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently weighed in on MRK. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, September 4th. Bank of America boosted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. HSBC raised their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $172.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, September 10th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $142.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, August 20th. Seventeen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Merck & Co., Inc. currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $154.24.

Trending Headlines about Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: The U.S. FDA approved an update to the WINREVAIR label to include data from the Phase 3 HYPERION trial in recently diagnosed adults with pulmonary arterial hypertension. The expanded evidence may support broader adoption of the product and strengthens Merck’s growth prospects beyond KEYTRUDA. FDA approves WINREVAIR label update
• Positive Sentiment: Japan approved KEYTRUDA QLEX, Merck’s first subcutaneous KEYTRUDA formulation, for all locally approved KEYTRUDA indications. The faster, more convenient alternative to intravenous administration could improve patient and clinician convenience while helping defend KEYTRUDA’s international franchise. KEYTRUDA QLEX approved in Japan
• Positive Sentiment: The European Medicines Agency’s CHMP backed the KEYTRUDA-plus-PADCEV combination as a perioperative treatment for eligible patients with resectable muscle-invasive bladder cancer. If formally approved, the decision would expand the combination’s addressable market and reinforce Merck’s oncology pipeline. CHMP backs Keytruda-Padcev combination
• Neutral Sentiment: The average sell-side recommendation remains equivalent to a Buy, but analyst optimism is not necessarily a reliable indicator of future performance. Investors should weigh the ratings against Merck’s earnings outlook, competitive risks and valuation. Analyst view on Merck
• Negative Sentiment: A separate analysis called Merck overvalued and overbought, highlighting potential profit-taking after the stock’s strong run. With shares near their 52-week high and a reported trailing P/E above 120, valuation remains a risk even as new product approvals improve the growth narrative. Merck valuation downgrade

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:MRK traded up $1.73 on Tuesday, hitting $151.23. The company had a trading volume of 3,174,174 shares, compared to its average volume of 10,748,557. The stock has a market cap of $373.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 121.02, a P/E/G ratio of 6.39 and a beta of 0.21. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $138.97 and a 200 day moving average price of $125.44. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1-year low of $77.58 and a 1-year high of $156.92. The company has a current ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.26) by $0.13. The company had revenue of $16.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $16.37 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 4.77% and a return on equity of 16.73%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s quarterly revenue was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.13 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. Analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.76 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be given a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio is presently 272.00%.

Merck & Co., Inc. Company Profile

Merck & Co, Inc is a global healthcare company that develops, manufactures, and markets prescription medicines, vaccines, and animal-health products. The company serves patients, healthcare providers, and customers in markets worldwide through its Human Health and Animal Health businesses.

Merck's pharmaceutical portfolio includes oncology, infectious disease, cardiology, immunology, and other therapeutic areas. Its products include Keytruda, an immunotherapy used to treat various cancers; Gardasil, a vaccine that helps protect against human papillomavirus (HPV); and Januvia, a treatment for type 2 diabetes.

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