Insider Selling: Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) EVP Sells $1,691,403.12 in Stock

Posted by Brenda Bartman on Aug 15th, 2026

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK – Get Free Report) EVP Richard Deluca sold 12,837 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $131.76, for a total transaction of $1,691,403.12. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 121,866 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $16,057,064.16. This represents a 9.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

NYSE MRK opened at $135.78 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12-month low of $77.58 and a 12-month high of $135.97. The company has a market capitalization of $334.98 billion, a PE ratio of 108.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.85 and a beta of 0.19. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $125.54 and its 200-day moving average is $119.94.

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, topping 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 16.73%. The business had revenue of $16.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.37 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $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 fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be issued a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.5%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 272.00%.

More Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade and higher valuations: Daiwa Securities upgraded MRK from “neutral” to “outperform” and set a $143 price target. Other analysts have raised fair-value estimates into the $140–$155 range, citing pipeline progress, business-development activity and late-stage therapies. Daiwa Securities upgrade
Positive Sentiment: Business momentum remains supportive: MRK recently touched a record high, while Keytruda demand, oncology products, new launches and Animal Health helped drive quarterly revenue of $16.61 billion, above the $16.37 billion consensus estimate. The company also exceeded earnings expectations and reported 5.1% year-over-year revenue growth. Merck fair value and pipeline progress
Positive Sentiment: Income and diversification appeal: Merck declared its regular $0.85 quarterly dividend, or $3.40 annualized, while potential expansion of ENFLONSIA for RSV prevention could broaden growth beyond oncology.
Neutral Sentiment: Insider selling warrants monitoring: EVP Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares for $1.35 million, following substantial sales by executives Jennifer Zachary and Richard Deluca. Each executive retained a meaningful stake, so the transactions may reflect personal financial decisions rather than a deteriorating outlook. Merck insider selling report
Negative Sentiment: Keytruda concentration is a future risk: Patent expiration and increasing competition could pressure Merck’s largest growth driver. Investors will need evidence that the pipeline and newer products can offset eventual Keytruda sales declines. Keytruda growth outlook

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

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of MRK. Kingdom Financial Group LLC. bought a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Abound Financial LLC bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Prosperity Bancshares Inc bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. High Note Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 58.9% during the 4th quarter. High Note Wealth LLC now owns 294 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 109 shares during the last quarter. Finally, IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. acquired a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently commented on MRK shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Weiss Ratings lowered Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $112.00 to $113.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Bank of America increased their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $141.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $120.00 target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $135.50.

View Our Latest Stock Analysis 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.