M. Kulyk & Associates LLC Acquires 6,295 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

M. Kulyk & Associates LLC boosted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 7.0% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 96,539 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 6,295 shares during the quarter. Merck & Co., Inc. comprises 1.6% of M. Kulyk & Associates LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 18th largest holding. M. Kulyk & Associates LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $8,103,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Darwin Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 237.4% in the 3rd quarter. Darwin Wealth Management LLC now owns 307 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 216 shares in the last quarter. Kilter Group LLC acquired a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the second quarter worth $27,000. Bare Financial Services Inc grew its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 51.9% in the second quarter. Bare Financial Services Inc now owns 366 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares during the period. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 302.3% in the third quarter. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 354 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 266 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Evolution Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the second quarter valued at $31,000. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Positive Phase‑3 data for ENFLONSIA (RSV) expand the drug’s market potential — results showed protection in high‑risk infants into a second RSV season, which could meaningfully lift long‑term revenue beyond current approvals. Merck RSV And KEYTRUDA Updates Refocus Attention On Valuation And Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Regulatory wins for Keytruda — new subcutaneous formulation and additional indications — improve maintainability of the franchise and could blunt some revenue erosion when competition arrives. Merck RSV And KEYTRUDA Updates Refocus Attention On Valuation And Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst interest and constructive ratings (average “Moderate Buy”; new coverage from Barclays) support the equity case and provide a baseline of sell‑side support as Merck executes the transition. Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Receives Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck confirmed an operational split of Human Health into two divisions — a standalone cancer (oncology) business and a separate non‑cancer products unit — intended to sharpen launches and portfolio execution. This is an organizational/strategy move rather than an immediate financial shock. Merck Evolves Human Health Operating Structure to Support Portfolio Execution
• Neutral Sentiment: Market reaction so far has been muted — some outlets report investors “shrugged” at the reorganization, suggesting the move was largely expected and already partially priced in. Merck reportedly ready to the splits as Keytruda patent cliff looms. Market shrugs
• Negative Sentiment: The core risk remains Keytruda’s loss of exclusivity (patent expiry around 2028) — the split is explicitly positioned to offset expected sales pressure and biosimilar competition, which could materially reduce pembrolizumab revenue in coming years. Investors need to watch the pace of biosimilar entry, upcoming launch execution for pipeline assets, and how the company allocates capital between the two units. Merck to create separate cancer business to offset Keytruda patent loss, WSJ reports

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Up 1.1%

MRK stock opened at $123.63 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $306.84 billion, a PE ratio of 16.98, a P/E/G ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 0.28. The company has a quick ratio of 1.44, a current ratio of 1.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. Merck & Co., Inc. has a twelve month low of $73.31 and a twelve month high of $124.19. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $111.13 and its 200-day moving average is $96.33.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last announced 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 business had revenue of $16.40 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.19 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 45.22% and a net margin of 28.08%.Merck & Co., Inc.’s revenue was up 5.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.72 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.000-5.150 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 7th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 16th will be issued a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 16th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.8%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio is currently 46.70%.

Insider Activity at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 37,685 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.92, for a total transaction of $4,556,870.20. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 160,174 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $19,368,240.08. This trade represents a 19.05% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Robert M. Davis sold 47,434 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.04, for a total value of $5,599,109.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 443,602 shares in the company, valued at $52,362,780.08. The trade was a 9.66% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 320,176 shares of company stock valued at $38,281,735 over the last three months. Insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on MRK shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $150.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 13th. BMO Capital Markets upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and increased their price target for the stock from $82.00 to $130.00 in a report on Thursday, December 18th. Cantor Fitzgerald boosted their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $116.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Barclays began coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Friday. They set an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, December 15th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $124.80.

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.