Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Acquired by Compound Planning Inc.

Compound Planning Inc. lifted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 18.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 39,183 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 6,069 shares during the quarter. Compound Planning Inc.’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $3,289,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

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

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

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, CEO Robert M. Davis sold 47,434 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.04, for a total transaction of $5,599,109.36. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 443,602 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $52,362,780.08. This trade represents a 9.66% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 37,685 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.92, for a total transaction of $4,556,870.20. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 160,174 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $19,368,240.08. The trade was a 19.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders sold 320,176 shares of company stock valued at $38,281,735. 0.09% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Positive Phase 3 SMART trial results for ENFLONSIA (clesrovimab) in infants/children under 2 — expands the potential market for Merck’s RSV product and strengthens near-term growth prospects. Merck (MRK) Announces Positive Phase 3 SMART Trial Results for ENFLONSIA (Clesrovimab)
• Positive Sentiment: New Keytruda approvals/formulations (including subcutaneous option and additional indications) broaden dosing options and indications, supporting replacement revenue as competition increases. Merck RSV And KEYTRUDA Updates Refocus Attention On Valuation And Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Merck hit an annual high inside the Russell 1000 — technical/market-strength signal that complements fundamental newsflow. Merck (NYSE:MRK) Hits Annual High in Russell 1000
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck will present at the TD Cowen 46th Annual Health Care Conference — standard investor outreach that may provide management clarity but is not an immediate earnings driver. Merck to Participate in the TD Cowen 46th Annual Health Care Conference
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage and peer-comparison pieces show Merck is a relative outperformer but Wall Street remains cautiously optimistic — supports valuation but suggests limited near-term multiple expansion without more upside news. How Is Merck & Co.’s Stock Performance Compared to Other Healthcare Stocks?
• Negative Sentiment: Keytruda patent expiry (approaching 2028) is pushing Merck to split its human-health business and create a standalone cancer unit — a defensive move that signals meaningful future revenue pressure from biosimilars/generic competition. Market reaction has been muted, but the patent cliff remains the primary long-term risk to MRK’s top-line. Merck to create separate cancer business to offset Keytruda patent loss, WSJ reports

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Up 0.2%

NYSE:MRK opened at $124.11 on Wednesday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1 year low of $73.31 and a 1 year high of $124.84. The stock has a market cap of $308.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.05, a P/E/G ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 1.44 and a current ratio of 1.66. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $111.65 and a 200-day simple moving average of $96.63.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last released 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. The company had revenue of $16.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $16.19 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 28.08% and a return on equity of 45.22%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.72 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.000-5.150 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate 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 disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 7th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 16th will be issued a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 16th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio is presently 46.70%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on MRK. Wall Street Zen lowered Merck & Co., Inc. from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Sunday, February 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $92.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 2nd. TD Cowen increased their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. UBS Group lifted their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, Barclays initiated coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Friday, February 20th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 price objective for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $124.80.

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.