Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Sold by SlateStone Wealth LLC

SlateStone Wealth LLC decreased its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 4.0% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 117,597 shares of the company’s stock after selling 4,937 shares during the period. Merck & Co., Inc. accounts for 1.2% of SlateStone Wealth LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 23rd biggest position. SlateStone Wealth LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $15,111,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Brighton Jones LLC increased its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 29.5% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 38,278 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,808,000 after purchasing an additional 8,710 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC lifted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 52.2% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 11,494 shares of the company’s stock valued at $910,000 after purchasing an additional 3,941 shares in the last quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC boosted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 94.1% during the 2nd quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC now owns 32,256 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,590,000 after purchasing an additional 15,636 shares during the last quarter. Diversify Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 22.2% during the second quarter. Diversify Wealth Management LLC now owns 38,031 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,054,000 after buying an additional 6,897 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 111.7% in the second quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 681,128 shares of the company’s stock valued at $53,918,000 after buying an additional 359,356 shares during the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and higher valuations: Daiwa Securities upgraded Merck to “outperform” with a $143 price target, while other analyst commentary placed fair-value estimates in the $140–$155 range. A separate valuation assessment raised fair value from $132.78 to $136.85, citing pipeline progress and recent business-development activity. Merck fair value article
• Positive Sentiment: Shares reached a record level: Merck was among the companies touching fresh all-time highs, signaling strong recent momentum and investor confidence in its earnings outlook. Merck all-time high article
• Positive Sentiment: Pipeline and core products support growth: Analysts highlighted Merck’s late-stage pipeline, business-development efforts and continued demand for Keytruda. Recent quarterly results also showed revenue of $16.61 billion, above expectations, with oncology and Animal Health cited as important contributors. Merck earnings call analysis
• Neutral Sentiment: Dividend provides income support: Merck declared a quarterly dividend of $0.85 per share, or $3.40 annualized. The payout may support demand for the stock, although the reported payout ratio is elevated.
• Negative Sentiment: Cluster of executive sales: Several executives sold shares, including Jennifer Zachary’s approximately $10.7 million sale, Chirfi Guindo’s $1.35 million sale and Richard Deluca’s additional $1.54 million sale. These transactions reduced their holdings substantially and could weigh modestly on sentiment, though insiders retained shares.
• Negative Sentiment: Keytruda concentration risk: Keytruda remains Merck’s main growth engine, but future patent loss and increasing competition could pressure sales and earnings. Investors will look for newer products and pipeline candidates to offset that risk. Keytruda growth outlook article

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Up 2.0%

Shares of NYSE MRK opened at $135.57 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $334.49 billion, a PE ratio of 108.46, a P/E/G ratio of 5.73 and a beta of 0.19. The company has a quick ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $125.25 and a 200-day moving average of $119.83. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52-week low of $77.58 and a 52-week high of $135.68.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.26) by $0.13. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 16.05% and a net margin of 4.77%.The business had revenue of $16.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.37 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.13 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue 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. On average, analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.77 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The company 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. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 272.00%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Chirfi Guindo sold 15,000 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction dated 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 directly owned 46,613 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,106,303. The trade was a 24.35% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 80,315 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.46, for a total transaction of $10,718,839.90. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 45,509 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,073,631.14. This trade represents a 63.83% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 228,238 shares of company stock worth $29,977,783. 0.17% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently issued reports on MRK shares. CICC Research initiated coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $138.00 target price on the stock. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $135.00 to $142.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $120.00 price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $142.00 target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Finally, Barclays increased their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $135.50.

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.