Truist Financial Corp Buys 395,679 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Truist Financial Corp boosted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 23.9% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 2,048,821 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 395,679 shares during the period. Truist Financial Corp’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $215,659,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MRK. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 302.3% during the 3rd quarter. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 354 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 266 shares in the last quarter. United Financial Planning Group LLC bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 3rd quarter valued at about $31,000. Wealth Watch Advisors INC bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 3rd quarter valued at about $34,000. Dunhill Financial LLC lifted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 83.0% during the 3rd quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 419 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 190 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Silicon Valley Capital Partners lifted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 160.5% during the 3rd quarter. Silicon Valley Capital Partners now owns 422 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 260 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MRK has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Wolfe Research upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $135.00 price objective for the company in a report on Thursday, January 8th. UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, April 13th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, March 28th. Finally, Guggenheim boosted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $122.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $128.18.

Insider Transactions at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other news, CFO Caroline Litchfield sold 41,997 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.61, for a total value of $5,023,261.17. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 90,192 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,787,865.12. The trade was a 31.77% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Robert M. Davis sold 47,434 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.04, for a total transaction of $5,599,109.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 443,602 shares in the company, valued at approximately $52,362,780.08. The trade was a 9.66% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 320,176 shares of company stock worth $38,281,735. 0.17% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Up 0.1%

Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $112.30 on Monday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $117.69 and its 200-day moving average price is $107.70. The company has a quick ratio of 1.30, a current ratio of 1.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52-week low of $73.31 and a 52-week high of $125.14. The company has a market cap of $277.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.63, a PEG ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 0.18.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($1.47) by $0.19. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 13.59% and a return on equity of 26.84%. The firm had revenue of $16.29 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.85 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.22 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 4.9 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Key Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat expectations — Merck posted revenue and adjusted EPS above Street forecasts with Keytruda and Winrevair driving growth; the beats and upbeat commentary lifted investor sentiment. Merck tops Q1 estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Regulatory approvals & pipeline progress expand addressable markets — Merck won FDA approval for a new 2‑drug HIV regimen (IDVYNSO) and EC approval for ENFLONSIA for RSV prevention; the company also dosed the first patient in Phase 3 enpatoran lupus trials, adding long‑term growth optionality. Merck expands beyond oncology
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst action mixed — Wells Fargo trimmed its price target to $145 but kept an Overweight rating, signaling continued confidence despite a modestly lower PT. Wells Fargo lowers PT
• Neutral Sentiment: FY‑2026 guidance and outlook — Merck provided EPS guidance of $5.04–$5.16 and a narrowed sales view ($65.8B–$67.0B). Guidance is close to consensus but tighter ranges mean less revenue upside visibility near term. Merck Q1 financial results
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector context — Biotech peers are mixed (Moderna saw vaccine revenue rebound but its stock fell; Organon missed), so some moves reflect broader healthcare rotation rather than Merck‑specific news. Moderna Covid vaccine drives growth
• Negative Sentiment: Acquisition-related charge produced a GAAP loss — A Cidara-related charge drove a quarterly GAAP loss, which clouds headline profitability despite the operational beat. Merck posts quarterly loss due to Cidara charge
• Negative Sentiment: Longer-term growth risks flagged — Coverage noted potential future pressure from lost sales on some products (e.g., competitive threats to Keytruda, HPV and diabetes medicines) and Merck said it is working on mitigations. That risk keeps some investors cautious. Merck stock falls after earnings

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.