Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Sold by Applied Finance Capital Management LLC

Applied Finance Capital Management LLC decreased its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 8.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 178,136 shares of the company’s stock after selling 16,547 shares during the period. Applied Finance Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $14,947,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Darwin Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 237.4% in the 3rd quarter. Darwin Wealth Management LLC now owns 307 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 216 shares during the last quarter. Kilter Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. Bare Financial Services Inc boosted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 51.9% in the second quarter. Bare Financial Services Inc now owns 366 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 125 shares during the period. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 302.3% during the 3rd quarter. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 354 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 266 shares during the period. Finally, Evolution Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 2nd quarter worth about $31,000. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. TD Cowen increased their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Guggenheim upped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $122.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Bank of America upped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Sunday. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $120.93.

Trending Headlines about Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Bull research argues the recent run doesn’t make MRK overvalued and highlights durable upside from Keytruda, QLEX migration and pipeline execution. Merck: The Spike Doesn’t Make It Overvalued
• Positive Sentiment: Another bullish note rates MRK a Buy for 2026, citing extended Keytruda exclusivity to late‑2029 and “hidden alpha” from QLEX migration and BD/pipeline execution. Merck: A Buy For 2026, But The Clock Is Still Ticking
• Positive Sentiment: Some financial media also flagged an analyst upgrade that briefly lifted the share price and coverage noting Merck’s positioning for long‑term revenue growth. Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Price Up 1.8% After Analyst Upgrade
• Neutral Sentiment: Longer‑term dividend/quality screens and bull‑case articles continue to present MRK as a multi‑year recovery story, which supports longer‑horizon holders but may not offset short‑term selling. 3 Top Dow Jones Dividend Stocks to Buy for Passive Income in 2026
• Negative Sentiment: EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 121,573 shares (~$14.5M) at ≈$119.15, cutting her ownership by ~64% — a large, conspicuous insider sale that often triggers investor concern. Form 4 — Jennifer Zachary
• Negative Sentiment: CMO Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares (~$1.18M) at ≈$118.41, reducing their stake ~12.4%. Form 4 — Chirfi Guindo
• Negative Sentiment: Additional recent insider sales reported (CFO and other executives sold multi‑million dollar amounts), amplifying the negative signal from leadership selling. CFO Sells $5,023,261.17 EVP Sells $4,556,870.20
• Negative Sentiment: Wall Street Zen and at least one Seeking Alpha piece issued more cautious or downgraded takes, adding pressure for traders who focus on near‑term catalysts. From Bargain To Balancing Act: Merck’s Next Test Begins Stock Rating Lowered by Wall Street Zen

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Down 3.5%

Shares of MRK opened at $117.67 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.44, a current ratio of 1.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12-month low of $73.31 and a 12-month high of $122.66. The firm has a market capitalization of $292.06 billion, a PE ratio of 16.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 0.28. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $106.89 and its 200-day simple moving average is $93.53.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.04 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.01 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $16.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.19 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 45.22% and a net margin of 28.08%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.72 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.000-5.150 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 7th. Investors of record on Monday, March 16th will be issued a dividend of $0.85 per share. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.9%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 16th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s payout ratio is presently 46.70%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 37,685 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.92, for a total transaction of $4,556,870.20. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 160,174 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $19,368,240.08. The trade was a 19.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CMO Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.41, for a total transaction of $1,184,100.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief marketing officer directly owned 70,615 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,361,522.15. This represents a 12.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 320,176 shares of company stock worth $38,281,735 in the last 90 days. 0.09% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.