TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. Purchases 131,302 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• TD Waterhouse Canada increased its Merck position by 37% in the third quarter, buying 131,302 shares and bringing its total holdings to 485,697 shares valued at approximately $69.9 million.
• Institutional investors own 76.07% of Merck’s outstanding stock, with major holders including BlackRock, State Street, Wellington Management, Bank of America, and Invesco also raising their positions.
• Merck shares recently traded near $146, after gaining more than 38% in 2026, while analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus and a $151.92 average price target. However, the stock’s elevated valuation and recent insider selling could increase sensitivity to disappointing pipeline or clinical-trial results.

TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. grew its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 37.0% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 485,697 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 131,302 shares during the period. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc.'s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $69,863,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in MRK. BlackRock Inc. boosted 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 worth $29,169,479,000 after purchasing an additional 1,073,507 shares during the period. State Street Corp grew its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.9% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 120,413,256 shares of the company's stock valued at $15,573,754,000 after buying an additional 1,087,583 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.3% during 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 buying an additional 1,934,312 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 10.5% during the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 30,774,221 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,701,831,000 after buying an additional 2,919,780 shares during the period. Finally, Invesco Ltd. increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.5% during the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 20,546,185 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,162,691,000 after buying an additional 701,249 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck reported promising skin-cancer trial results involving Keytruda and a personalized mRNA vaccine. Positive clinical data could strengthen confidence in Merck’s oncology franchise and support longer-term growth. Merck reports promising skin cancer trial results
• Positive Sentiment: Merck is scheduled to present first-time pivotal Phase 3 oncology results at ESMO 2026, including melanoma and endometrial-cancer programs, alongside an oncology investor event. The disclosures may demonstrate progress in replacing or extending revenue from existing cancer therapies. Merck ESMO 2026 oncology pipeline preview
• Positive Sentiment: Merck’s continued uptrend has encouraged options traders to consider bullish strategies, indicating that some market participants expect further gains. Options activity, however, can amplify volatility and does not by itself change the company’s fundamentals. Merck bullish options strategy
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck’s investment narrative has shifted toward oncology and other growth opportunities as investors look beyond challenges affecting Gardasil, particularly in China. The strategy could improve diversification, but execution and pipeline commercialization remain key.
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck is being compared favorably with other pharmaceutical companies on dividend sustainability and cash generation, though the articles do not identify a major new dividend announcement. Merck versus Amgen dividend comparison
• Negative Sentiment: After rising more than 38% in 2026, Merck trades at a substantially higher forward earnings multiple than in late 2025. Analysts warn that the market may already be pricing in significant pipeline success, leaving less room for upside and greater sensitivity to disappointing trial data. Merck valuation and rally analysis

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Guggenheim raised their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $146.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 8th. 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. Bank of America upped their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. HSBC increased their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $172.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, August 21st. Seventeen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $151.92.

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

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, EVP Richard Deluca sold 11,699 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $131.63, for a total transaction of $1,539,939.37. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 110,167 shares in the company, valued at $14,501,282.21. This trade represents a 9.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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 Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.00, for a total value of $1,350,000.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 36,613 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,942,755. This trade represents a 21.45% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 228,238 shares of company stock valued at $29,977,783. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Merck & Co., Inc. stock traded up $0.82 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $146.01. 11,231,621 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 10,199,042. Merck & Co., Inc. has a one year low of $82.01 and a one year high of $156.92. The stock has a market cap of $360.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 116.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.71 and a beta of 0.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.32. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $145.60 and a 200-day moving average price of $129.24.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) EPS 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 firm 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 firm earned $2.13 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter 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, equities analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.66 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th were paid a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio is currently 272.00%.

Merck & Co., Inc. Profile

Merck & Co, Inc is a global healthcare company that develops and markets prescription medicines, vaccines, and animal-health products. The company serves patients, healthcare providers, and customers in markets around the world, with research and commercial operations spanning multiple geographic regions.

Its pharmaceutical portfolio includes oncology, infectious-disease, cardiovascular, immunology, and other therapeutic areas. Key products include Keytruda, an oncology treatment; Gardasil, a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine; Januvia and Janumet for type 2 diabetes; Bridion for anesthesia-related use; and Winrevair for pulmonary arterial hypertension.

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