Costello Asset Management INC Decreases Stake in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Costello Asset Management INC cut its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 62.1% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 16,733 shares of the company’s stock after selling 27,414 shares during the quarter. Costello Asset Management INC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $1,404,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 29.5% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 38,278 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,808,000 after acquiring an additional 8,710 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC grew its holdings 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 worth $910,000 after acquiring an additional 3,941 shares during the period. Yarger Wealth Strategies LLC increased its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 80.0% in the 2nd quarter. Yarger Wealth Strategies LLC now owns 5,188 shares of the company’s stock valued at $411,000 after purchasing an additional 2,305 shares in the last quarter. Ellis Investment Partners LLC raised its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.6% during the second quarter. Ellis Investment Partners LLC now owns 28,431 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,251,000 after purchasing an additional 173 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Almanack Investment Partners LLC. raised its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 350.5% during the second quarter. Almanack Investment Partners LLC. now owns 18,349 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,453,000 after purchasing an additional 14,276 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, insider Johannes Jacobus Oosthuizen sold 15,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.87, for a total value of $1,828,050.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 21,197 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,583,278.39. The trade was a 41.44% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 37,685 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.92, for a total value of $4,556,870.20. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 160,174 shares in the company, valued at $19,368,240.08. This trade represents a 19.05% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 320,176 shares of company stock worth $38,281,735 in the last three months. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

More Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Bull research argues the recent run doesn’t make MRK overvalued and highlights durable upside from Keytruda, QLEX migration and pipeline execution. Merck: The Spike Doesn’t Make It Overvalued
• Positive Sentiment: Another bullish note rates MRK a Buy for 2026, citing extended Keytruda exclusivity to late‑2029 and “hidden alpha” from QLEX migration and BD/pipeline execution. Merck: A Buy For 2026, But The Clock Is Still Ticking
• Positive Sentiment: Some financial media also flagged an analyst upgrade that briefly lifted the share price and coverage noting Merck’s positioning for long‑term revenue growth. Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Price Up 1.8% After Analyst Upgrade
• Neutral Sentiment: Longer‑term dividend/quality screens and bull‑case articles continue to present MRK as a multi‑year recovery story, which supports longer‑horizon holders but may not offset short‑term selling. 3 Top Dow Jones Dividend Stocks to Buy for Passive Income in 2026
• Negative Sentiment: EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 121,573 shares (~$14.5M) at ≈$119.15, cutting her ownership by ~64% — a large, conspicuous insider sale that often triggers investor concern. Form 4 — Jennifer Zachary
• Negative Sentiment: CMO Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares (~$1.18M) at ≈$118.41, reducing their stake ~12.4%. Form 4 — Chirfi Guindo
• Negative Sentiment: Additional recent insider sales reported (CFO and other executives sold multi‑million dollar amounts), amplifying the negative signal from leadership selling. CFO Sells $5,023,261.17 EVP Sells $4,556,870.20
• Negative Sentiment: Wall Street Zen and at least one Seeking Alpha piece issued more cautious or downgraded takes, adding pressure for traders who focus on near‑term catalysts. From Bargain To Balancing Act: Merck’s Next Test Begins Stock Rating Lowered by Wall Street Zen

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Down 3.5%

Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $117.67 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $106.89 and a 200 day moving average price of $93.53. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52 week low of $73.31 and a 52 week high of $122.66. The stock has a market cap of $292.06 billion, a PE ratio of 16.16, a P/E/G ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 0.28. 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 results 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. The company had revenue of $16.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $16.19 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 28.08% and a return on equity of 45.22%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.72 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.000-5.150 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 7th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 16th will be paid a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 16th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s payout ratio is presently 46.70%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have weighed in on MRK. Citigroup upped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $115.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Wolfe Research raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $135.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Guggenheim raised their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $122.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Zacks Research lowered shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $120.93.

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.