National Pension Service Purchases 175,582 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

National Pension Service increased its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 3.2% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 5,707,385 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 175,582 shares during the quarter. National Pension Service owned 0.23% of Merck & Co., Inc. worth $479,021,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MRK. DLD Asset Management LP bought a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the second quarter valued at approximately $2,889,340,000. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $2,858,570,000. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 23.5% during the 2nd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 27,032,601 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,139,901,000 after acquiring an additional 5,135,748 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership grew its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 35.5% in the second quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 19,456,096 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,540,145,000 after purchasing an additional 5,094,088 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 9.4% in the second quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 53,865,466 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,263,991,000 after purchasing an additional 4,636,183 shares during the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Merck & Co., Inc.

In related news, EVP David Michael Williams sold 8,614 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $83.59, for a total value of $720,044.26. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 24,578 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,054,475.02. The trade was a 25.95% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE MRK opened at $110.24 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $273.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.56, a PEG ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.29. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $105.20 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $91.87. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12 month low of $73.31 and a 12 month high of $112.90. The company has a current ratio of 1.66, a quick ratio of 1.44 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 $1.94 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.08 by ($0.14). Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 44.54% and a net margin of 29.63%. As a group, analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 7th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 16th will be given a dividend of $0.85 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 16th. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.1%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 44.91%.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlights strong Keytruda demand and new product launches as key upside drivers into Q4 results, supporting longer‑term revenue growth and helping sentiment today. Buy, Sell or Hold MRK Stock: Key Factors to Watch Before Q4 Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Insider/“smart money” activity: Chirfi Guindo bought roughly $1.06M of MRK stock — a buy by an institutional insider can signal confidence and attract momentum buyers. Smart Money Move: Chirfi Guindo Grabs $1.06M Worth Of Merck & Co Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks’ market recap notes MRK outperformed while the broader market dipped, indicating relative strength and sector‑specific buying interest. Why the Market Dipped But Merck (MRK) Gained Today
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst notes and sector coverage (Globe and Mail) provide mixed, mostly informational views on Merck alongside peers—useful for context but not a clear directional trigger. Analysts Offer Insights on Healthcare Companies: Merck & Company (MRK) and Waters (WAT)
• Neutral Sentiment: Additional analyst commentary comparing MRK with UnitedHealth provides sector perspective but no new catalyst. Analysts Offer Insights on Healthcare Companies: Merck & Company (MRK) and UnitedHealth (UNH)
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks’ primer on Wall Street estimates and key metrics ahead of Q4 is a useful reference for modeling MRK’s upcoming quarter but doesn’t itself move the needle. Curious about Merck (MRK) Q4 Performance? Explore Wall Street Estimates for Key Metrics
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks notes MRK is a trending stock on its platform—higher retail/institutional attention increases liquidity and volatility risk but is not a directional catalyst by itself. Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) Is a Trending Stock: Facts to Know Before Betting on It
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks warns that declining analyst estimates and rising M&A‑related costs could depress near‑term results and investor sentiment—key risk ahead of earnings. Buy, Sell or Hold MRK Stock: Key Factors to Watch Before Q4 Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Brokerage consensus is an average “Hold” rating, indicating limited near‑term upgrade potential and less bullish analyst conviction. Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Given Average Rating of “Hold” by Brokerages

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently commented on MRK shares. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Friday, January 9th. BMO Capital Markets upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $82.00 to $130.00 in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. UBS Group boosted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Bank of America increased their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, December 15th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised Merck & Co., Inc. from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and increased their target price for the company from $90.00 to $125.00 in a research report on Monday, November 24th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $114.53.

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.