First Nebraska Trust Co Buys 102,205 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Posted by George Bondi on Nov 4th, 2026

First Nebraska Trust Co bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK – Free Report) during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm bought 102,205 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,851,000. Merck & Co., Inc. comprises about 1.2% of First Nebraska Trust Co’s holdings, making the stock its 21st largest position.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of MRK. Curry Webb Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the third quarter valued at $29,000. Horizons Wealth Management purchased a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the third quarter worth about $30,000. Bullseye Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the second quarter worth about $27,000. Graney & King LLC grew its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 400.0% during the second quarter. Graney & King LLC now owns 250 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Foresight Capital Management Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the third quarter worth about $43,000. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Richard Deluca sold 11,699 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $131.63, for a total value of $1,539,939.37. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 110,167 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,501,282.21. This represents a 9.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.00, for a total transaction of $1,350,000.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 36,613 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,942,755. This trade represents a 21.45% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders sold 156,685 shares of company stock valued at $20,764,839. Insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Merck & Co., Inc.

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

Positive Sentiment: Merck began a Phase 3 trial of Ohtuvayre (ensifentrine) to assess whether it can prevent COPD exacerbations in higher-risk adults. A successful study could support the drug’s growth potential and broaden Merck’s pipeline. Merck initiates Phase 3 Ohtuvayre study
Positive Sentiment: The U.S. FDA granted emergency-use authorization for a Merck treatment against screwworm in dogs, providing a near-term product opportunity. Reuters report on FDA authorization
Neutral Sentiment: Merck’s pipeline is being viewed as a potential future growth driver, and its CEO has targeted $70 billion in revenue in the mid-2030s. However, the outlook depends on development and launch execution. Article on Merck’s pipeline and growth outlook
Negative Sentiment: DZ Bank downgraded MRK from Buy to Hold, despite setting a $153 price target. The move adds to caution around the stock; commentary also points to the looming patent cliff as a key longer-term risk. DZ Bank rating change

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 2.6%

MRK stock opened at $144.50 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $356.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 148.97, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.70 and a beta of 0.13. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $146.70 and a 200 day moving average price of $127.06. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.32 and a quick ratio of 1.10. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12 month low of $82.01 and a 12 month high of $156.92.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 29th. The company reported $2.49 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.09 by $0.40. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 3.64% and a return on equity of 16.56%. The company had revenue of $18.09 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $17.33 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.58 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc.’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.87 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently commented on MRK. Citigroup lifted their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, October 12th. HSBC upped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $172.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, September 10th. Barclays raised their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, October 26th. Argus raised their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 25th. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group raised Merck & Co., Inc. from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $143.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. Seventeen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $155.74.

Read Our Latest Report on Merck & Co., Inc.

Merck & Co., Inc. Company Profile

(Free Report)

Merck & Co, Inc is a global healthcare company that develops, manufactures and markets prescription medicines, vaccines and animal-health products. Its pharmaceutical business focuses on oncology, infectious diseases, cardiology, immunology and other areas of significant medical need. The company serves patients, healthcare providers and institutions in markets worldwide.

Merck’s principal products include Keytruda, an immunotherapy used to treat a range of cancers; Gardasil and Gardasil 9, vaccines that help protect against human papillomavirus; and Januvia and Janumet, medicines used to manage type 2 diabetes.