16,300 Shares in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Purchased by Dorato Capital Management

Dorato Capital Management purchased a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 16,300 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,809,000. Merck & Co., Inc. makes up approximately 1.4% of Dorato Capital Management’s portfolio, making the stock its 15th biggest position.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. Darwin Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 237.4% in the third quarter. Darwin Wealth Management LLC now owns 307 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 216 shares in the last quarter. Kilter Group LLC acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the second quarter valued at $27,000. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 302.3% during the 3rd quarter. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 354 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 266 shares during the last quarter. United Financial Planning Group LLC acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the third quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Evolution Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 2nd quarter worth $31,000. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 37,685 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.92, for a total value of $4,556,870.20. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 160,174 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $19,368,240.08. The trade was a 19.05% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Johannes Jacobus Oosthuizen sold 15,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.87, for a total transaction of $1,828,050.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 21,197 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,583,278.39. This represents a 41.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 320,176 shares of company stock worth $38,281,735. 0.13% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Key Stories Impacting Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: European approval expands KEYTRUDA use to a platinum‑resistant ovarian cancer population (PD‑L1 CPS ≥1). This label adds a new, high‑need indication and could incrementally lift oncology sales in Europe if uptake is steady; approval reduces regulatory uncertainty for the combo in that market. Merck granted EU approval of Keytruda combo in ovarian cancer
• Positive Sentiment: European Commission press release confirming KEYTRUDA + paclitaxel ± bevacizumab approval for PD‑L1‑positive, platinum‑resistant recurrent ovarian carcinoma — reinforces the commercial significance of the approval and the company’s oncology momentum in EU markets. European Commission Approves KEYTRUDA combo
• Positive Sentiment: Merck reported strong Phase 3 results for an oral PCSK9 candidate (enlicitide decanoate) — if confirmed through regulatory paths, an oral PCSK9 could be a major commercial opportunity in lipid management and compete with injectables, implying material long‑term upside to cardiovascular franchise revenue. Merck Reports Strong Phase 3 Results for Oral PCSK9
• Positive Sentiment: Initiation of a pivotal Phase 2b/3 trial for MK‑8748 (Tiespectus) in neovascular AMD shows Merck advancing a novel bispecific Tie2 agonist/VEGF inhibitor into registrational testing — de‑risks a promising ophthalmology program and could add a new specialty product if successful. Merck Announces Initiation of Pivotal Phase 2b/3 Trial
• Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada assigned an Outperform rating — analyst upgrades/support can buoy sentiment and buying interest, especially when coupled with pipeline news and recent beats. Merck Earns Outperform Rating from RBC
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck released detailed Phase 2 CADENCE data (WINREVAIR) — more granular data helps investors assess clinical profile and commercial potential, but Phase 2 detail typically moves shares less than registrational results unless outcomes are transformational. Merck Announces Detailed Results From the Phase 2 CADENCE Study
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck completed the acquisition of JSR Life Sciences’ chromatography business — broadens manufacturing/service capabilities (note: some headlines refer to Merck KGaA; confirm scope). Strategic but not immediately revenue‑moving for MRK’s core drug sales. Merck Completes Acquisition of JSR Life Sciences’ Chromatography Business
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector commentary: Lilly warned against locking pricing‑deal rules into law, citing innovation risk — a reminder of policy/regulatory uncertainty that can affect the whole pharma sector, including MRK, but it’s not a company‑specific development. Lilly Pushes Back on Making Drug Price Deals Permanent

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently commented on MRK. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, March 28th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $135.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Citigroup lifted their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, March 20th. Finally, Barclays began coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Friday, February 20th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 price objective on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $127.13.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 0.2%

MRK stock opened at $120.62 on Friday. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $117.47 and its two-hundred day moving average is $102.80. The company has a market capitalization of $298.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.44 and a beta of 0.26. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52 week low of $73.31 and a 52 week high of $125.14. The company has a current ratio of 1.54, a quick ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.04 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 44.57%. The business had revenue of $16.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.19 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.72 earnings per share. The business’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. On average, analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

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 paid a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 16th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s payout ratio is currently 46.70%.

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.