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

Hohimer Wealth Management LLC lessened its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 69.2% during the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 9,295 shares of the company’s stock after selling 20,925 shares during the quarter. Hohimer Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $1,194,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of MRK. R. W. Roge & Company Inc. bought a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the second quarter valued at about $228,000. Midland Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 5.9% in the second quarter. Midland Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 5,509 shares of the company’s stock worth $708,000 after acquiring an additional 306 shares in the last quarter. Quaker Wealth Management LLC raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 6.0% in the second quarter. Quaker Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,499 shares of the company’s stock worth $321,000 after acquiring an additional 141 shares in the last quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 7.8% in the 2nd quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC now owns 7,849 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,009,000 after acquiring an additional 565 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Stronghold Wealth Management L.L.C. lifted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.6% in the 2nd quarter. Stronghold Wealth Management L.L.C. now owns 3,237 shares of the company’s stock valued at $416,000 after acquiring an additional 82 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on MRK shares. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $112.00 to $113.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $142.00 target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Guggenheim raised their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $146.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. CICC Research assumed coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $138.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut Merck & Co., Inc. from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, July 20th. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Merck & Co., Inc. presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $135.50.

Insider Activity at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other news, EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 11,699 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $131.63, for a total transaction of $1,539,939.37. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 110,167 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,501,282.21. The trade was a 9.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP David R. Maraldo sold 18,706 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $128.72, for a total value of $2,407,836.32. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 18,212 shares in the company, valued at $2,344,248.64. This represents a 50.67% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 228,238 shares of company stock worth $29,977,783. Insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

Shares of MRK opened at $152.21 on Thursday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $126.86 and a two-hundred day moving average of $120.74. The stock has a market cap of $375.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 121.77, a PEG ratio of 5.83 and a beta of 0.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.32 and a quick ratio of 1.10. Merck & Co., Inc. has a one year low of $77.58 and a one year high of $153.50.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last released its quarterly earnings results 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 business had revenue of $16.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.37 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 4.77% and a return on equity of 16.73%. The firm’s revenue was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.13 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.77 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be given a dividend of $0.85 per share. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s payout ratio is presently 272.00%.

Key Headlines Impacting Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Phase 3 melanoma success: Moderna and Merck said their individualized mRNA vaccine, intismeran, combined with Merck’s Keytruda, met the primary endpoint in a large Phase 3 trial. The combination significantly extended recurrence-free survival and reduced the risk of melanoma spreading compared with Keytruda alone. This represents the first positive late-stage result for a personalized mRNA cancer vaccine. Merck, Moderna say melanoma skin cancer vaccine meets goals in large trial
• Positive Sentiment: New growth opportunity for Keytruda: The results could expand Merck’s oncology franchise by pairing Keytruda with a mutation-targeted vaccine. The companies believe thousands of high-risk melanoma patients could eventually benefit, pending regulatory approval targeted for 2027. Similar trials are underway in lung, pancreatic, breast and other cancers. Why this mRNA cancer vaccine is raising new treatment hope
• Positive Sentiment: Strategic importance before patent expiry: A successful vaccine-Keytruda combination could help support Merck’s oncology pipeline as Keytruda’s patent protection is expected to expire later this decade. Unusually heavy call-option activity also indicated heightened bullish trading interest.
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader market support: Relief in bond markets helped lift rate-sensitive healthcare stocks generally, providing an additional supportive backdrop for Merck’s move. However, the company’s advance was primarily tied to the vaccine announcement.
• Negative Sentiment: Important uncertainties remain: The companies released topline results, while investors and analysts await complete trial data. The vaccine still requires regulatory approval, and the commercial opportunity, pricing and longer-term benefits are not yet established. Merck also faces substantial future pressure from Keytruda’s eventual loss of exclusivity.

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.