Mufg Securities Americas Inc. Grows Stake in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Mufg Securities Americas Inc. grew its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 21.0% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 67,356 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 11,704 shares during the quarter. Mufg Securities Americas Inc.’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $5,653,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Darwin Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 237.4% in the 3rd quarter. Darwin Wealth Management LLC now owns 307 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 216 shares during the period. Kilter Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the second quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 302.3% during the third quarter. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 354 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 266 shares in the last quarter. Bare Financial Services Inc boosted its stake in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 125 shares during the period. Finally, Evolution Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 2nd quarter valued at $31,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

More Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Positive clinical and regulatory updates — Merck reported Phase 3 SMART results for ENFLONSIA showing protection against RSV in high‑risk infants into a second season, and the FDA cleared new KEYTRUDA formulations/indications (including a subcutaneous option), expanding near‑term growth levers. Merck RSV And KEYTRUDA Updates Refocus Attention On Valuation And Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Market placement/relative strength — Merck hit an annual high in the Russell 1000, signaling continued institutional interest and relative strength vs. peers. Merck (NYSE:MRK) Hits Annual High in Russell 1000
• Neutral Sentiment: Official reorganization announced — Merck is formally evolving its Human Health operating structure into two divisions (a cancer‑focused unit and a non‑cancer/vaccines unit) to sharpen launches and portfolio execution; the move is strategic but its net financial impact is uncertain. Merck Evolves Human Health Operating Structure to Support Portfolio Execution
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/coverage notes — New research coverage and an average analyst rating around “Moderate Buy” provide support but don’t materially change the risk/reward in the near term. Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Receives Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts
• Negative Sentiment: Keytruda patent cliff remains a major risk — Management’s split is explicitly to offset expected revenue pressure from Keytruda’s loss of exclusivity (patent expiry window), which could allow biosimilar competition and materially reduce future sales. That long‑term downside is the key risk investors are weighing. Merck to create separate cancer business to offset Keytruda patent loss, WSJ reports

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MRK has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Guggenheim increased their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $122.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $102.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, December 12th. UBS Group upped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Merck & Co., Inc. has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $124.80.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Up 1.1%

Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $123.63 on Tuesday. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $111.13 and a 200 day moving average price of $96.33. Merck & Co., Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $73.31 and a fifty-two week high of $124.19. The firm has a market cap of $306.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.98, a P/E/G ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 0.28. 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. (NYSE:MRK) last released its quarterly earnings data 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 net margin of 28.08% and a return on equity of 45.22%. The firm had revenue of $16.40 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.19 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.72 earnings per share. The firm’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 forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 7th. Stockholders 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 dividend yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 16th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s payout ratio is 46.70%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Merck & Co., Inc.

In related news, CEO Robert M. Davis sold 47,434 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.04, for a total value of $5,599,109.36. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 443,602 shares in the company, valued at $52,362,780.08. This trade represents a 9.66% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Caroline Litchfield sold 41,997 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.61, for a total value of $5,023,261.17. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 90,192 shares in the company, valued at $10,787,865.12. The trade was a 31.77% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 320,176 shares of company stock valued at $38,281,735. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Merck & Co., Inc. 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.