Advisors Asset Management Inc. Grows Holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Advisors Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 14.7% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 340,309 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 43,520 shares during the period. Merck & Co., Inc. makes up 0.5% of Advisors Asset Management Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 25th biggest position. Advisors Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $28,562,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Darwin Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 237.4% in the 3rd quarter. Darwin Wealth Management LLC now owns 307 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 216 shares during the last quarter. Kilter Group LLC bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. Bare Financial Services Inc raised its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 51.9% in the second quarter. Bare Financial Services Inc now owns 366 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 125 shares during the last quarter. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 302.3% in the third quarter. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 354 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 266 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Evolution Wealth Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the second quarter worth approximately $31,000. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of NYSE MRK opened at $117.12 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 1.66 and a quick ratio of 1.44. The stock has a market capitalization of $290.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.09, a PEG ratio of 2.20 and a beta of 0.28. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $107.22 and its 200-day simple moving average is $93.75. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12 month low of $73.31 and a 12 month high of $122.66.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.04 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.01 by $0.03. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 28.08% and a return on equity of 45.22%. The company had revenue of $16.40 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $16.19 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.72 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.000-5.150 EPS. Analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 7th. Investors of record on Monday, March 16th will be given a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.9%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 16th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio is presently 46.70%.

Insider Activity at Merck & Co., Inc.

In related news, CMO Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.41, for a total transaction of $1,184,100.00. Following the sale, the chief marketing officer directly owned 70,615 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,361,522.15. This represents a 12.40% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP David Michael Williams sold 5,000 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction on Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.91, for a total value of $609,550.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 30,838 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,759,460.58. This trade represents a 13.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 320,176 shares of company stock valued at $38,281,735 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Short interest fell ~14.6% in January to ~28.7M shares (≈1.2% of float), lowering short‑pressure and reducing the odds of a short‑squeeze‑driven reversal. (Data: Jan. 30 short interest)
• Positive Sentiment: Bullish research argues Merck’s recent rally isn’t excess — analysts highlight extended Keytruda exclusivity, QLEX migration and pipeline/BD upside as durable revenue drivers. This supports longer‑term upside expectations. Merck: A Buy For 2026, But The Clock Is Still Ticking
• Positive Sentiment: Merck entered a strategic collaboration with Calla Lily Clinical Care to advance an intravaginal drug‑delivery platform (Callavid®), expanding non‑oncology device/partnered opportunities that could augment future topline or BD interest. Calla Lily Collaboration
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck reaffirmed solid fundamentals: recent quarter beat estimates, announced a $0.85 quarterly dividend (ex‑dividend March 16) and provided FY‑2026 EPS guidance. These support income/long‑term holders but may be largely priced in near term.
• Negative Sentiment: Large, high‑visibility insider sale: EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 121,573 shares (~$14.5M) at ≈$119.15 and materially reduced her stake — a prominent executive sale that can spook short‑term traders. Form 4 — Jennifer Zachary
• Negative Sentiment: Additional insider sales: CMO Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares (~$1.18M) and other senior executives (including the CFO and another EVP) disclosed multi‑million dollar sales, amplifying negative sentiment from leadership selling. Form 4 — Chirfi Guindo CFO Sale Coverage
• Negative Sentiment: Some market commentary and at least one downgrade flag a near‑term balancing act — caution about valuation after a strong run and nearer‑term catalysts keeps trading volatility elevated. Balancing Act Article

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Wall Street Zen cut Merck & Co., Inc. from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Sunday. Bank of America raised their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, December 15th. Citigroup boosted their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $115.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Wolfe Research upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $135.00 target price on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, TD Cowen lifted their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $120.93.

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.