TD Asset Management Inc Purchases 46,150 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• TD Asset Management increased its Merck stake by 2.0%, buying 46,150 shares and ending the quarter with 2.33 million shares valued at approximately $300 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 76.07% of Merck.
• Merck’s latest quarterly results exceeded expectations, with revenue of $16.61 billion and adjusted EPS of $0.13 versus consensus of a $0.26 loss; revenue rose 5.1% year over year. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.85 per share, representing a 2.2% annualized yield.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $144.10, though some analysts cited valuation concerns and Keytruda’s expected 2028 patent expiration. Meanwhile, insiders sold more than 228,000 shares worth nearly $30 million over the past 90 days.

TD Asset Management Inc grew its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 2.0% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,334,726 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 46,150 shares during the period. TD Asset Management Inc owned about 0.09% of Merck & Co., Inc. worth $300,012,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Capital City Trust Co. FL increased its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 6.9% in the 2nd quarter. Capital City Trust Co. FL now owns 4,790 shares of the company's stock valued at $616,000 after buying an additional 308 shares during the period. Chilton Capital Management LLC raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.3% during the second quarter. Chilton Capital Management LLC now owns 29,329 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,769,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares in the last quarter. River Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.2% during the second quarter. River Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 95,113 shares of the company's stock worth $12,222,000 after purchasing an additional 2,011 shares during the last quarter. SmartHarvest Portfolios LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 29.5% in the 2nd quarter. SmartHarvest Portfolios LLC now owns 8,628 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,109,000 after purchasing an additional 1,968 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Symphony Financial Ltd. Co. increased its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 1.3% in the 2nd quarter. Symphony Financial Ltd. Co. now owns 35,684 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,613,000 after purchasing an additional 471 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Up 2.3%

MRK stock opened at $152.43 on Friday. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $128.09 and its 200 day simple moving average is $121.23. The company has a market cap of $376.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 121.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.43 and a beta of 0.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.32. Merck & Co., Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $77.58 and a fifty-two week high of $154.49.

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 for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.26) by $0.13. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 4.77% and a return on equity of 16.73%. The company had revenue of $16.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.37 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.13 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.77 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The firm 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 dividend of $0.85 per share. 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 (DPR) is currently 272.00%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Cantor Fitzgerald restated a "neutral" rating and set a $120.00 price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday, July 6th. UBS Group lifted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $175.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $143.00 target price on the stock in a report on Wednesday, August 12th. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $144.10.

More Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck and Moderna reported that their personalized cancer therapy met key Phase 3 goals, improving recurrence-free and distant metastasis-free survival for high-risk melanoma patients when added to Keytruda. The result is the first major late-stage win for an mRNA cancer vaccine and strengthens the potential for regulatory approval and broader oncology applications. MRK/MRNA's Personalized Cancer Therapy Delivers First Phase III Win
• Positive Sentiment: Several Wall Street firms raised their outlooks for MRK: Goldman Sachs increased its price target to $160 and kept a Buy rating, while BMO raised its target to $170 and UBS lifted its target to $175. Morgan Stanley also upgraded the shares to Overweight with a $179 target after the cancer-trial success.
• Positive Sentiment: Investors see Merck’s newer products, acquired assets and pipeline programs as a potential growth cushion against Keytruda’s eventual patent expiration. The company’s expanding portfolio could help diversify revenue beyond its flagship drug. Can Merck's New Drugs Offer Growth Cushion Ahead of Keytruda LOE?
• Neutral Sentiment: Unusually high options activity indicates heightened investor interest and potential volatility, but it does not by itself establish the direction of the stock.
• Negative Sentiment: RBC Capital Markets downgraded Merck to Sector Perform and set a $150 target, arguing that execution risks and the 2028 Keytruda loss of exclusivity are being underestimated. RBC said near-term catalysts are attractive, but the stock’s valuation leaves limited room for additional gains. Merck upgraded at Morgan Stanley after cancer trial win; RBC downgrades
• Negative Sentiment: Jefferies separately moved Merck from Strong Buy to Hold. The central concern is that the shares have already rallied substantially on the trial news, making the current valuation appear demanding relative to the remaining patent and execution risks.

Insider Activity at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other news, EVP David R. Maraldo sold 18,706 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $128.72, for a total transaction of $2,407,836.32. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 18,212 shares in the company, valued at $2,344,248.64. The trade was a 50.67% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $135.00, for a total transaction of $1,350,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 36,613 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,942,755. The trade was a 21.45% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 228,238 shares of company stock worth $29,977,783. 0.17% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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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