Strs Ohio Sells 17,995 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Strs Ohio reduced its Merck stake by 1.5% in Q4, selling 17,995 shares and retaining 1,158,977 shares valued at about $121.99 million.
• Significant insider selling has occurred recently — EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 121,573 shares (~$14.49M) and insiders have disposed of 320,176 shares (~$38.28M) over the past 90 days, leaving insiders with just 0.17% ownership.
• Operational update: Merck beat Q1 revenue and adjusted EPS (revenue $16.29B), issued FY‑2026 EPS guidance of $5.04–$5.16, but reported a GAAP loss driven by an acquisition-related Cidara charge; analysts maintain a consensus "Moderate Buy" with a ~$128.18 price target.

Strs Ohio cut its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 1.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,158,977 shares of the company's stock after selling 17,995 shares during the period. Strs Ohio's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $121,994,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. First Pacific Financial boosted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 14.7% during the third quarter. First Pacific Financial now owns 47,555 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,991,000 after buying an additional 6,082 shares during the period. D.A. Davidson & CO. boosted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 4.4% during the fourth quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 576,959 shares of the company's stock valued at $60,731,000 after buying an additional 24,576 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 48.9% during the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 97,818 shares of the company's stock valued at $10,296,000 after buying an additional 32,114 shares during the period. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 12.7% during the third quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 123,366 shares of the company's stock valued at $10,364,000 after buying an additional 13,940 shares during the period. Finally, Campbell Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the third quarter valued at $1,866,000. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other news, EVP David Michael Williams sold 5,000 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.91, for a total value of $609,550.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 30,838 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,759,460.58. The trade was a 13.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 121,573 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 68,916 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $8,211,341.40. This trade represents a 63.82% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 320,176 shares of company stock valued at $38,281,735. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Up 2.9%

NYSE MRK opened at $112.30 on Friday. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $117.69 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $107.39. Merck & Co., Inc. has a twelve month low of $73.31 and a twelve month high of $125.14. 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 company has a market capitalization of $277.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.43, a PEG ratio of 2.21 and a beta of 0.26.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of ($1.47) by $0.19. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 26.84% and a net margin of 13.59%.The business had revenue of $16.29 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.85 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.22 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 4.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Key Headlines Impacting Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat expectations — Merck posted revenue and adjusted EPS above Street forecasts with Keytruda and Winrevair driving growth; the beats and upbeat commentary lifted investor sentiment. Merck tops Q1 estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Regulatory approvals & pipeline progress expand addressable markets — Merck won FDA approval for a new 2‑drug HIV regimen (IDVYNSO) and EC approval for ENFLONSIA for RSV prevention; the company also dosed the first patient in Phase 3 enpatoran lupus trials, adding long‑term growth optionality. Merck expands beyond oncology
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst action mixed — Wells Fargo trimmed its price target to $145 but kept an Overweight rating, signaling continued confidence despite a modestly lower PT. Wells Fargo lowers PT
• Neutral Sentiment: FY‑2026 guidance and outlook — Merck provided EPS guidance of $5.04–$5.16 and a narrowed sales view ($65.8B–$67.0B). Guidance is close to consensus but tighter ranges mean less revenue upside visibility near term. Merck Q1 financial results
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector context — Biotech peers are mixed (Moderna saw vaccine revenue rebound but its stock fell; Organon missed), so some moves reflect broader healthcare rotation rather than Merck‑specific news. Moderna Covid vaccine drives growth
• Negative Sentiment: Acquisition-related charge produced a GAAP loss — A Cidara-related charge drove a quarterly GAAP loss, which clouds headline profitability despite the operational beat. Merck posts quarterly loss due to Cidara charge
• Negative Sentiment: Longer-term growth risks flagged — Coverage noted potential future pressure from lost sales on some products (e.g., competitive threats to Keytruda, HPV and diabetes medicines) and Merck said it is working on mitigations. That risk keeps some investors cautious. Merck stock falls after earnings

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently issued reports on MRK. Guggenheim lifted their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $122.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $145.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and set a $142.00 price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday, March 30th. Wolfe Research upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a "peer perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $135.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, TD Cowen raised their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $128.18.

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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