Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. cut its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK – Free Report) by 5.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 2,254,739 shares of the company’s stock after selling 119,254 shares during the period. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. owned approximately 0.09% of Merck & Co., Inc. worth $327,636,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Bullseye Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the second quarter worth about $27,000. Horizons Wealth Management acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the third quarter worth $30,000. Graney & King LLC boosted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 400.0% in the second quarter. Graney & King LLC now owns 250 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the period. Montgomery Financial Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the second quarter worth $41,000. Finally, Evergreen Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the first quarter valued at $43,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company’s stock.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
Several research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, September 4th. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $179.00 to $177.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, August 21st. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $152.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 20th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $142.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, August 20th. Seventeen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $151.92.
Read Our Latest Stock Report on Merck & Co., Inc.
Key Merck & Co., Inc. News
Here are the key news stories impacting Merck & Co., Inc. this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Merck’s newer cancer treatments and encouraging Phase 3 melanoma results may help broaden its oncology franchise and reduce reliance on Keytruda. Investors are assessing whether these products can become meaningful growth drivers before Keytruda faces patent-related competition. How Investors Are Reacting To Merck Phase 3 Melanoma Results
- Positive Sentiment: The company’s diversified drug portfolio, research investments and dividend—approximately a 2.4% yield—provide support for investors seeking income while waiting for newer therapies to offset future Keytruda pressure. Merck also previously raised its 2026 sales outlook. Merck’s 2.4% Dividend Yield
- Neutral Sentiment: Merck KGaA agreed to acquire Silence Therapeutics for approximately $1.3 billion in cash, including $20 per American depositary share. The deal could strengthen the German company’s pipeline, but Merck KGaA is a separate company from U.S.-listed Merck & Co. (MRK), so the transaction does not directly affect MRK’s earnings or stock.
- Negative Sentiment: Keytruda’s concentration creates a significant patent-cliff risk. New treatments must scale rapidly enough to replace a large portion of sales and profits when competition arrives, adding uncertainty to Merck’s valuation and long-term growth outlook. Merck Has New Cancer Treatments
- Negative Sentiment: Exchange-traded funds were reported as net sellers of MRK, indicating some short-term institutional or systematic selling pressure despite the company’s underlying growth initiatives. ETFs Are Net Sellers of Merck
Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance
MRK opened at $148.19 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $365.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 118.55, a PEG ratio of 6.64 and a beta of 0.21. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1 year low of $82.01 and a 1 year high of $156.92. The company has a current ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $146.22 and a 200 day moving average price of $129.67.
Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK – Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results 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 return on equity of 16.73% and a net margin of 4.77%. The firm had revenue of $16.61 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.37 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.13 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. Analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.66 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement
The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th were paid a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s payout ratio is presently 272.00%.
Insider Transactions at Merck & Co., Inc.
In related news, EVP Chirfi Guindo sold 15,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $131.00, for a total value of $1,965,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 46,613 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,106,303. This represents a 24.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Richard Deluca sold 20,784 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $130.43, for a total transaction of $2,710,857.12. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 134,703 shares in the company, valued at approximately $17,569,312.29. The trade was a 13.37% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 228,238 shares of company stock valued at $29,977,783 in the last ninety days. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.
Merck & Co., Inc. Profile
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.
Featured Articles
- Five stocks we like better than Merck & Co., Inc.
- Aurora Rejects Curaleaf’s Higher Bid, But the Takeover Fight Isn’t Over
- Centrus Energy Is Building a Nuclear Fuel Powerhouse—Why Is Its Stock Struggling?
- Halliburton Gains Traction: Multiyear Upcycle Ahead
- Meta Platforms’ AI Comeback Faces an Earnings Test—And a $10 Billion Charge
Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MRK? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK – Free Report).
Receive News & Ratings for Merck & Co. Inc. Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Merck & Co. Inc. and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
