Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Shares Acquired Rep. Gilbert Ray Cisneros, Jr.

Representative Gilbert Ray Cisneros, Jr. (D-California) recently bought shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK). In a filing disclosed on September 12th, the Representative disclosed that they had bought between $1,001 and $15,000 in Merck & Co., Inc. stock on August 5th. The trade occurred in the Representative’s “150 MAIN STREET TRUST > BANK OF AMERICA” account.

Representative Gilbert Ray Cisneros, Jr. also recently made the following trade(s):

• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Semtech (NASDAQ:SMTC) on 9/2/2025.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Chart Industries (NYSE:GTLS) on 9/2/2025.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Avient (NYSE:AVNT) on 9/2/2025.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Amdocs (NASDAQ:DOX) on 8/27/2025.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Amdocs (NASDAQ:DOX) on 8/26/2025.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Intapp (NASDAQ:INTA) on 8/26/2025.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of APi Group (NYSE:APG) on 8/26/2025.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Waters (NYSE:WAT) on 8/26/2025.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Semtech (NASDAQ:SMTC) on 8/26/2025.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Fortive (NYSE:FTV) on 8/26/2025.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:MRK opened at $81.41 on Monday. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $82.79 and its 200-day simple moving average is $82.34. The firm has a market capitalization of $203.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.84 and a beta of 0.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 1.42 and a quick ratio of 1.17. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12 month low of $73.31 and a 12 month high of $118.16.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 29th. The company reported $2.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.03 by $0.10. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 41.05% and a net margin of 25.79%.The firm had revenue of $15.81 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.92 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2025 guidance at 8.870-8.970 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 7th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.81 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 15th. This represents a $3.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.0%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s payout ratio is 49.92%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Berenberg Bank lowered Merck & Co., Inc. from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and reduced their target price for the company from $100.00 to $90.00 in a research note on Wednesday, September 17th. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $99.00 to $98.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 10th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $97.00 to $90.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 30th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $106.41.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Merck & Co., Inc.

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Legend Financial Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 2nd quarter valued at about $25,000. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. Kilter Group LLC purchased a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. Bare Financial Services Inc boosted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 51.9% in the 2nd quarter. Bare Financial Services Inc now owns 366 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 125 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Evolution Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 2nd quarter valued at about $31,000. 76.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Representative Cisneros

Gil Cisneros (Democratic Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing California’s 31st Congressional District. He assumed office on January 3, 2025. His current term ends on January 3, 2027.

Cisneros (Democratic Party) is running for re-election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 31st Congressional District. He declared candidacy for the 2026 election.

Gil Cisneros served in the U.S. Navy as a supply officer from 1994 to 2004. Cisneros earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from George Washington University in 1994, a master’s in business administration from Regis University in 2002, and a master’s degree in urban education policy from Brown University in 2015. His career experience includes working as a logistics manager for Frito-Lay. In 2010, Cisneros won the lottery and became involved in activism and philanthropy, founding a scholarship program for local high school students. In 2021, President Joe Biden (D) appointed Cisneros as under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness.

About Merck & Co., Inc.

Merck & Co, Inc is a health care company, which engages in the provision of health solutions through its prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies, animal health, and consumer care products. It operates through the following segments: Pharmaceutical, Animal Health, and Other. The Pharmaceutical segment includes human health pharmaceutical and vaccine products.