Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Stock: Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. Cuts Position

Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. decreased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 8.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 242,083 shares of the company’s stock after selling 22,748 shares during the period. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc.’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $35,177,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. BlackRock Inc. grew its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.5% in the 2nd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 226,999,837 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,169,479,000 after acquiring an additional 1,073,507 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.9% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 120,413,256 shares of the company’s stock worth $15,573,754,000 after purchasing an additional 1,087,583 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its stake 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 valued at $11,083,033,000 after purchasing an additional 1,934,312 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 10.5% in the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 30,774,221 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,701,831,000 after purchasing an additional 2,919,780 shares during the period. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 23.8% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 15,456,039 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,858,938,000 after purchasing an additional 2,969,856 shares during the period. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: The European Commission approved KEYTRUDA plus Padcev as perioperative treatment for adults with resectable muscle-invasive bladder cancer. The expanded indication strengthens Merck’s oncology portfolio, supports additional long-term revenue opportunities and reinforces the commercial value of the two-drug combination. European Commission KEYTRUDA and Padcev approval
• Positive Sentiment: The latest trading session saw Merck outperform the broader market, reflecting investor interest in its strong oncology franchise and recent product catalysts. Merck outperforms the stock market
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck’s participation in the growing bioconjugation and cell-culture-media markets provides potential exposure to expanding biopharmaceutical research demand, but the reports offer no specific financial impact or new company guidance. Bioconjugation market report Cell culture media market report
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports on Merck’s phase 3 melanoma results and ETF selling could influence sentiment, but the available information does not provide enough detail to assess the magnitude or durability of either development. Merck phase 3 melanoma results
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research downgraded Merck from “hold” to “strong sell,” adding selling pressure and highlighting valuation or growth concerns.
• Negative Sentiment: KEYTRUDA and KEYTRUDA QLEX remain Merck’s primary earnings engine, while U.S. growth is expected to moderate as the drug approaches peak penetration. The looming patent cliff and a legal setback affecting subcutaneous KEYTRUDA sales in several European markets increase concerns about Merck’s ability to replace future lost revenue with newer treatments. Merck KEYTRUDA growth and patent cliff analysis

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Up 1.1%

NYSE:MRK opened at $149.98 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. The firm has a market cap of $370.02 billion, a P/E ratio of 119.98, a PEG ratio of 6.85 and a beta of 0.21. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $146.55 and its 200-day simple moving average is $129.88. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12-month low of $82.01 and a 12-month high of $156.92.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.26) by $0.13. The company had revenue of $16.61 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.37 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 4.77% and a return on equity of 16.73%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s quarterly revenue was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.13 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. Equities 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. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th were issued a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 272.00%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on MRK shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, October 5th. Argus increased their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 25th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 25th. Guggenheim increased their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $146.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 8th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their target price on shares of 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. Seventeen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $151.92.

Insider Transactions at Merck & Co., Inc.

In related news, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 80,315 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.46, for a total transaction of $10,718,839.90. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 45,509 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,073,631.14. The trade was a 63.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares of the company’s 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 represents a 21.45% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 228,238 shares of company stock valued at $29,977,783. 0.17% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Merck & Co., Inc. Company Profile

Merck & Co, Inc is a global healthcare company that develops, manufactures and markets prescription medicines, vaccines and animal-health products. Its pharmaceutical business focuses on oncology, infectious diseases, cardiology, immunology and other areas of significant medical need. The company serves patients, healthcare providers and institutions in markets worldwide.

Merck’s principal products include Keytruda, an immunotherapy used to treat a range of cancers; Gardasil and Gardasil 9, vaccines that help protect against human papillomavirus; and Januvia and Janumet, medicines used to manage type 2 diabetes.