Berkeley Inc Sells 8,586 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Berkeley Inc trimmed its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 70.6% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 3,573 shares of the company’s stock after selling 8,586 shares during the quarter. Berkeley Inc’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $300,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of MRK. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 9.4% during the 2nd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 53,865,466 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,263,991,000 after acquiring an additional 4,636,183 shares during the period. DLD Asset Management LP bought a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the second quarter valued at about $2,889,340,000. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the second quarter worth about $2,858,570,000. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 23.5% in the 2nd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 27,032,601 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,139,901,000 after purchasing an additional 5,135,748 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC increased its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.3% during the 2nd quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 25,013,697 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,980,084,000 after purchasing an additional 567,900 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Up 0.7%

MRK stock opened at $109.58 on Wednesday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $102.92 and a 200-day moving average of $90.54. Merck & Co., Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $73.31 and a fifty-two week high of $112.90. The company has a market capitalization of $271.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.48, a PEG ratio of 1.26 and a beta of 0.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 1.44 and a current ratio of 1.66.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $1.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.08 by ($0.14). Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 44.54% and a net margin of 29.63%. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 8th. Investors of record on Monday, December 15th were issued a dividend of $0.85 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 15th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.1%. This is an increase from Merck & Co., Inc.’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.81. Merck & Co., Inc.’s payout ratio is 44.91%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP David Michael Williams sold 8,614 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $83.59, for a total transaction of $720,044.26. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 24,578 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,054,475.02. This trade represents a 25.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MRK has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Zacks Research lowered Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Wells Fargo & Company raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their price target for the company from $90.00 to $125.00 in a research report on Monday, November 24th. Wolfe Research raised Merck & Co., Inc. from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $135.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $92.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $110.00 to $111.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 18th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $114.20.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: TD Cowen raised its price target on MRK to $120 (from $100) while keeping a “hold” rating, implying roughly mid‑teens upside vs. recent levels — a near‑term analyst tailwind for the stock. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: Moderna and Merck reported five‑year Phase 2b data showing their individualized mRNA cancer vaccine (intismeran autogene) plus KEYTRUDA reduced recurrence or death by ~49% in high‑risk melanoma — a major clinical win that strengthens Merck’s oncology franchise and future revenue/pipeline upside. Moderna, Merck skin cancer vaccine shows sustained benefit
• Positive Sentiment: Market commentary and buy-side interest highlighting Merck’s strategic M&A and pipeline expansion (including recent analyst upgrades and positive articles listing MRK among top oncology/dividend picks) support a bullish narrative around durable cash flow plus growth. Merck poised for breakout
• Neutral Sentiment: Wells Fargo reaffirmed its buy rating on MRK, which reinforces existing bullish views but does not change immediate expectations. Wells Fargo reaffirms buy
• Neutral Sentiment: General investor pieces positioning MRK as a “forever stock” or dividend play highlight defensive qualities and long‑term appeal, which can support multiple expansion but are less likely to drive near‑term moves. MarketBeat forever stocks
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks highlights continued weakness in Gardasil sales—notably in China and Japan—which could pressure Merck’s Q4 revenues and temper upside from pipeline headlines. Will weak Gardasil sales continue?
• Negative Sentiment: Insider/insider-like selling reports (e.g., a disclosure of a Rep. Julie Johnson sale) can add short‑term noise and negative sentiment, though such sales are often routine and historically have limited lasting impact. Rep. Julie Johnson sells MRK shares

Merck & Co., Inc. 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.