67,892 Shares in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Acquired by Global X Japan Co. Ltd.

Global X Japan Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund acquired 67,892 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,146,000.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. 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 raised its stake in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 3,941 shares during the period. Inceptionr LLC acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 2nd quarter valued at $942,000. Employees Retirement System of Texas acquired a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 2nd quarter valued at $9,450,000. Finally, Wambolt & Associates LLC purchased a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the second quarter valued at about $257,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

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

In related news, 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 sale, the chief marketing officer owned 70,615 shares in the company, valued at $8,361,522.15. This represents a 12.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 37,685 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.92, for a total value of $4,556,870.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 160,174 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $19,368,240.08. The trade was a 19.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 320,176 shares of company stock worth $38,281,735. 0.13% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MRK has been the subject of several recent research reports. Bank of America increased their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Citigroup raised their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, March 20th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 13th. TD Cowen raised their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut Merck & Co., Inc. from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $127.13.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Down 0.4%

NYSE:MRK opened at $118.90 on Friday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52 week low of $73.31 and a 52 week high of $125.14. The company has a quick ratio of 1.30, a current ratio of 1.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89. The company has a market cap of $293.97 billion, a PE ratio of 16.33, a P/E/G ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.27. The business’s 50 day moving average is $116.43 and its two-hundred day moving average is $101.56.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.01 by $0.03. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 44.57% and a net margin of 28.08%.The business had revenue of $16.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.19 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.72 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 5.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.000-5.150 EPS. On average, analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

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 $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 16th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.9%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s payout ratio is 46.70%.

Trending Headlines about Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck agreed to acquire Terns Pharmaceuticals for about $6.7 billion to add TERN‑701, an investigational CML drug that could meaningfully strengthen Merck’s hematology/oncology lineup ahead of Keytruda’s patent cliff. Merck to Boost Oncology Pipeline With $6.7B Terns Buyout, Stock Up
• Positive Sentiment: Citi raised its price target on MRK to $125 (from $120), reflecting continued analyst recognition of Merck’s profitability and strategic M&A. Citi Raises its Price Target on Merck & Co. (MRK) to $125 from $120
• Positive Sentiment: Agilent received FDA approval for the PD‑L1 IHC 22C3 pharmDx as a companion diagnostic for Keytruda in esophageal/GEJ carcinoma—supportive for continued clinical use of Keytruda where indicated. This can help sustain Keytruda demand in approved indications near-term. Agilent Receives FDA Approval for PD-L1 IHC 22C3 pharmDx
• Neutral Sentiment: Heightened investor interest and searches on Merck point to increased attention and volume as the market digests the deal and guidance; this can amplify intraday moves but is not directional on fundamentals. Investors Heavily Search Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK)
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck held an M&A investor call and provided materials/transcript — useful for detail but mainly confirms terms and rationale rather than changing the deal. Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) M&A Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts and media note potential rival interest in Terns; William Blair and others suggest the $53/shr offer may undervalue Terns’ upside, implying Merck could face a bidding contest or need to increase the price. That raises transaction risk and potential dilution/cost. Merck’s $6.7 billion Terns acquisition may face rival interest: Analyst
• Negative Sentiment: An investor‑rights law firm is investigating whether Terns shareholders are getting fair value, which can delay closing or lead to litigation/negotiation that complicates the deal timeline and integration. Terns Pharmaceuticals Investor Alert

About Merck & Co., Inc.

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.