Kerusso Capital Management LLC Purchases 7,908 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Kerusso Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 32.3% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 32,399 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 7,908 shares during the quarter. Kerusso Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $3,410,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in MRK. DLD Asset Management LP lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 30.1% during the 3rd quarter. DLD Asset Management LP now owns 47,500,000 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,986,675,000 after acquiring an additional 11,000,000 shares during the period. Legal & General Group Plc lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 5.9% during the 3rd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 20,659,157 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,733,923,000 after acquiring an additional 1,156,112 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 16.6% during the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 19,844,936 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,665,585,000 after acquiring an additional 2,821,766 shares during the period. Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 20.7% during the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 15,933,909 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,336,877,000 after acquiring an additional 2,735,459 shares during the period. Finally, Nordea Investment Management AB lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.0% during the 3rd quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 10,945,187 shares of the company’s stock valued at $876,600,000 after acquiring an additional 209,759 shares during the period. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other news, CEO Robert M. Davis sold 47,434 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.04, for a total transaction of $5,599,109.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 443,602 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $52,362,780.08. The trade was a 9.66% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 121,573 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.15, for a total value of $14,485,422.95. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 68,916 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,211,341.40. This trade represents a 63.82% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 320,176 shares of company stock worth $38,281,735 in the last three months. Insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: FDA granted Priority Review for two supplemental BLA filings for KEYTRUDA in combination regimens for muscle‑invasive bladder cancer — this could expand a high‑value label for KEYTRUDA if approved, supporting future revenue. Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) Gains FDA Priority Review for KEYTRUDA Regimen in Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer
• Positive Sentiment: Merck announced a multi‑year partnership with Google Cloud (up to $1B) to deploy agentic AI across R&D, manufacturing and commercial functions — a strategic investment that could boost long‑term productivity, R&D efficiency and digital transformation. Merck and Google Cloud Partner to Accelerate Agentic AI Enterprise Transformation
• Positive Sentiment: FDA approved IDVYNSO, a once‑daily two‑drug, non‑INSTI, tenofovir‑free HIV regimen — a new approved product can contribute incremental sales and diversify Merck’s commercial portfolio. Merck Weighs New HIV Approval Against Mixed Oncology Trial Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports say Merck and other drugmakers are eyeing a deal for Inhibrx’s experimental cancer drug tied to KEYTRUDA — strategic M&A/licensing interest is a potential longer‑term positive but remains speculative and valuation‑dependent. Exclusive: Merck, rivals eye deal in Inhibrx experimental cancer drug tied to Keytruda, sources say
• Neutral Sentiment: Market research notes expansion in the polycythemia vera field and lists Merck’s bomedemstat as one of several emerging entrants — a potential long‑term opportunity but competitive and years from wide commercial impact. Polycythemia Vera Market Set for Transformation: Key 9 Companies Expected to Enter by 2036
• Negative Sentiment: Merck and partner Eisai reported a late‑stage Keytruda‑based triplet in first‑line advanced renal cell carcinoma failed to meet primary endpoints — this clinical setback has already pressured the stock and raises near‑term uncertainty around that program and investor confidence in certain oncology readouts. MRK Down as Triplet Therapy Fails to Meet Goal in Kidney Cancer Study
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts expect Merck to report a year‑over‑year earnings decline and note Merck lacks the key factors typically associated with an earnings beat — weaker near‑term EPS guidance/expectations can cap upside and prompt short‑term selling. Analysts Estimate Merck (MRK) to Report a Decline in Earnings: What to Look Out for

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $114.68 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 1.30 and a current ratio of 1.54. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52 week low of $73.31 and a 52 week high of $125.14. The stock has a market capitalization of $283.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 0.26. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $118.80 and a 200-day moving average of $106.58.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.04 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.01 by $0.03. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 44.57% and a net margin of 28.08%.The company had revenue of $16.40 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $16.19 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.72 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc.’s revenue 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, sell-side analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 4.93 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 7th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 16th were issued a dividend of $0.85 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 16th. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.0%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s payout ratio is 46.70%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on MRK. Citigroup upped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, March 20th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Zacks Research upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, March 28th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 target price for the company in a research report on Friday, February 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $128.47.

Merck & Co., Inc. Company 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.