Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) EVP David Michael Williams Sells 52,847 Shares

Posted by Francis Steltz on Aug 8th, 2026

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK – Get Free Report) EVP David Michael Williams sold 52,847 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $128.77, for a total transaction of $6,805,108.19. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 31,716 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,084,069.32. This trade represents a 62.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

NYSE:MRK opened at $128.61 on Friday. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $123.98 and its 200-day moving average is $119.11. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52-week low of $77.58 and a 52-week high of $135.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a current ratio of 1.30. The company has a market cap of $317.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 102.89, a PEG ratio of 5.53 and a beta of 0.19.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.26) by $0.13. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 4.77% and a return on equity of 16.05%. The business had revenue of $16.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.37 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.13 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.77 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be issued a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio is 272.00%.

Key Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

Positive Sentiment: Recent approvals and label-expansion efforts for KEYTRUDA and ENFLONSIA, together with Merck’s raised 2026 revenue outlook, are reinforcing the investment case. One analysis estimates the shares may still be modestly undervalued after a strong recent run. Merck Could Be Undervalued on Raised Outlook and Approvals
Positive Sentiment: Positive cancer-drug trial readouts and broader strength across biotechnology and pharmaceutical stocks could support investor interest in Merck’s oncology portfolio and pipeline. These New Drugs Could Fuel Fresh Highs for Biotech and Pharma Stocks
Neutral Sentiment: An industry report identifies continued opportunities in endometrial cancer, including frontline immunotherapy combinations, companion diagnostics and precision therapies. The report highlights Merck as a participant but does not announce a new company-specific deal or result. Endometrial Cancer Market Share Analysis and Industry Trends
Negative Sentiment: Three Merck executive vice presidents reported selling a combined 86,553 shares for approximately $11.2 million. The transactions reduced their individual holdings by roughly 24% to 62%, which may weigh on sentiment, although insider sales do not necessarily indicate a change in company fundamentals. Chirfi Guindo SEC Form 4 David Michael Williams SEC Form 4 David R. Maraldo SEC Form 4
Negative Sentiment: Merck is working to diversify beyond KEYTRUDA ahead of its expected 2028 patent expiration. The need for acquisitions, partnerships and new growth platforms underscores the long-term revenue risk associated with the company’s largest product. Merck Is Racing Beyond KEYTRUDA

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Merck & Co., Inc.

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. D.A. Davidson & CO. boosted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 4.4% in the 4th quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 576,959 shares of the company’s stock worth $60,731,000 after acquiring an additional 24,576 shares in the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 48.9% during the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 97,818 shares of the company’s stock worth $10,296,000 after acquiring an additional 32,114 shares during the last quarter. Norris Perne & French LLP MI increased its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 12.8% during the 4th quarter. Norris Perne & French LLP MI now owns 252,162 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,543,000 after purchasing an additional 28,635 shares in the last quarter. Pinnbrook Capital Management LP increased its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 95.2% during the 4th quarter. Pinnbrook Capital Management LP now owns 23,280 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,450,000 after purchasing an additional 11,355 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cibc World Market Inc. increased its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 32.6% during the 4th quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 1,301,744 shares of the company’s stock valued at $137,022,000 after purchasing an additional 320,143 shares in the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MRK has been the topic of several recent research reports. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $135.00 to $142.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Wall Street Zen lowered Merck & Co., Inc. from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, July 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $142.00 target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Scotiabank lifted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $136.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a “sector outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. Finally, Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $134.56.

Get Our Latest Research Report on Merck & Co., Inc.

About Merck & Co., Inc.

(Get Free Report)

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.