Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Position Boosted by TD Waterhouse Canada Inc.

TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. increased its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 37.0% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 485,697 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 131,302 shares during the quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc.’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $69,863,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in MRK. BlackRock Inc. grew its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.5% during the second quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 226,999,837 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,169,479,000 after buying an additional 1,073,507 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.9% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 120,413,256 shares of the company’s stock worth $15,573,754,000 after buying an additional 1,087,583 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.3% in the second quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 86,249,283 shares of the company’s stock worth $11,083,033,000 after buying an additional 1,934,312 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 10.5% in the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 30,774,221 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,701,831,000 after acquiring an additional 2,919,780 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.5% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 20,546,185 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,162,691,000 after acquiring an additional 701,249 shares during the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Up 0.6%

MRK traded up $0.82 during trading on Friday, hitting $146.01. 11,231,621 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 10,199,042. The firm has a market capitalization of $360.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 116.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.71 and a beta of 0.21. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12-month low of $82.01 and a 12-month high of $156.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.32 and a quick ratio of 1.10. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $145.60 and a 200 day moving average of $129.24.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.26) by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $16.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $16.37 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 4.77% and a return on equity of 16.73%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.13 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.66 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced 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 dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 272.00%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on MRK shares. UBS Group increased their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $175.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, August 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $145.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, October 12th. Wall Street Zen cut Merck & Co., Inc. from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, October 3rd. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Finally, Rothschild & Co Redburn boosted their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Seventeen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $151.92.

More Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck reported promising skin-cancer trial results involving Keytruda and a personalized mRNA vaccine. Positive clinical data could strengthen confidence in Merck’s oncology franchise and support longer-term growth. Merck reports promising skin cancer trial results
• Positive Sentiment: Merck is scheduled to present first-time pivotal Phase 3 oncology results at ESMO 2026, including melanoma and endometrial-cancer programs, alongside an oncology investor event. The disclosures may demonstrate progress in replacing or extending revenue from existing cancer therapies. Merck ESMO 2026 oncology pipeline preview
• Positive Sentiment: Merck’s continued uptrend has encouraged options traders to consider bullish strategies, indicating that some market participants expect further gains. Options activity, however, can amplify volatility and does not by itself change the company’s fundamentals. Merck bullish options strategy
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck’s investment narrative has shifted toward oncology and other growth opportunities as investors look beyond challenges affecting Gardasil, particularly in China. The strategy could improve diversification, but execution and pipeline commercialization remain key.
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck is being compared favorably with other pharmaceutical companies on dividend sustainability and cash generation, though the articles do not identify a major new dividend announcement. Merck versus Amgen dividend comparison
• Negative Sentiment: After rising more than 38% in 2026, Merck trades at a substantially higher forward earnings multiple than in late 2025. Analysts warn that the market may already be pricing in significant pipeline success, leaving less room for upside and greater sensitivity to disappointing trial data. Merck valuation and rally analysis

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, EVP Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.00, for a total value of $1,350,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 36,613 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,942,755. This trade represents a 21.45% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 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 value of $10,718,839.90. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president 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. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 228,238 shares of company stock valued at $29,977,783 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Company Profile

Merck & Co, Inc is a global healthcare company that develops and markets prescription medicines, vaccines, and animal-health products. The company serves patients, healthcare providers, and customers in markets around the world, with research and commercial operations spanning multiple geographic regions.

Its pharmaceutical portfolio includes oncology, infectious-disease, cardiovascular, immunology, and other therapeutic areas. Key products include Keytruda, an oncology treatment; Gardasil, a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine; Januvia and Janumet for type 2 diabetes; Bridion for anesthesia-related use; and Winrevair for pulmonary arterial hypertension.