State of Michigan Retirement System Decreases Stake in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

State of Michigan Retirement System cut its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 1.0% in the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 737,790 shares of the company’s stock after selling 7,300 shares during the period. State of Michigan Retirement System’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $61,923,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. SlateStone Wealth LLC increased its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. SlateStone Wealth LLC now owns 118,910 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,980,000 after acquiring an additional 875 shares during the last quarter. Willis Investment Counsel grew its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 19.2% in the third quarter. Willis Investment Counsel now owns 313,817 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,339,000 after purchasing an additional 50,635 shares in the last quarter. John G Ullman & Associates Inc. increased its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 4.7% in the third quarter. John G Ullman & Associates Inc. now owns 98,706 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,284,000 after purchasing an additional 4,393 shares during the last quarter. Bond & Devick Financial Network Inc. increased its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 18.3% in the third quarter. Bond & Devick Financial Network Inc. now owns 3,227 shares of the company’s stock worth $271,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Providence Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.0% during the third quarter. Providence Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 11,129 shares of the company’s stock valued at $969,000 after purchasing an additional 215 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:MRK opened at $121.92 on Friday. 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. has a 12 month low of $73.31 and a 12 month high of $122.66. The company has a market capitalization of $302.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.75, a PEG ratio of 2.23 and a beta of 0.28. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $106.58 and its 200 day moving average is $93.15.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 business had revenue of $16.40 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.19 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.72 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly 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. Research analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 7th. Investors of record on Monday, March 16th will be issued 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 yield of 2.8%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s payout ratio is presently 46.70%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MRK has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Guggenheim lifted their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $122.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. Citigroup increased their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $115.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday. UBS Group lifted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Cantor Fitzgerald upped their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $116.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Wolfe Research raised Merck & Co., Inc. from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $135.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $119.53.

Key Headlines Impacting Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results topped estimates (EPS and revenue) and management set FY‑2026 EPS guidance of $5.00–$5.15 while citing growth drivers such as Keytruda, Animal Health and new drug launches — a near-term earnings beat that supports upside. Earnings Beat
• Positive Sentiment: Guggenheim raised its price target from $122 to $140 and kept a Buy rating, giving analysts’ support to the rally and indicating ~15% further upside from recent levels. Guggenheim PT Raise
• Positive Sentiment: Other broker notes are bullish — Citigroup and Scotiabank published favorable outlooks/target increases highlighting execution and price appreciation potential. Citigroup Forecast Scotiabank Lift
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks flags a “subdued” 2026 outlook driven by acquisition-related charges, which mutes the beat; but it still points to Keytruda, Animal Health and new launches as the primary growth levers — a mixed read on near-term margin/earnings progression. Zacks Analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Significant insider selling this week: CEO Robert M. Davis sold ~47,434 shares, CFO Caroline Litchfield ~41,997 shares, EVP Richard Deluca ~37,685 shares, CMO Chirfi Guindo ~20,000 and multiple other senior executives also trimmed positions — large, coordinated filings that may weigh on sentiment despite corporate explanations (e.g., diversification or tax/planned sales). SEC filings: CEO Form 4 CFO Form 4 EVP Form 4

Insider Activity at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other news, CEO Robert M. Davis sold 47,434 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.04, for a total transaction of $5,599,109.36. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 443,602 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $52,362,780.08. The trade was a 9.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 37,685 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.92, for a total transaction of $4,556,870.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 160,174 shares in the company, 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. Insiders have sold 188,603 shares of company stock worth $22,612,212 over the last quarter. 0.13% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.