Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Holdings Lessened by Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH

Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH lessened its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 37.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 419,350 shares of the company’s stock after selling 247,581 shares during the quarter. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $60,936,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC purchased a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 2nd quarter valued at $11,470,000. Russell Investments Group Ltd. lifted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.0% in the second quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 2,578,024 shares of the company’s stock valued at $331,931,000 after acquiring an additional 51,393 shares during the last quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. lifted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 7.0% in the second quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 6,184,340 shares of the company’s stock valued at $794,577,000 after acquiring an additional 402,011 shares during the last quarter. Talon Private Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the second quarter valued at $995,000. Finally, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lifted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 12.3% in the second quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 2,073,176 shares of the company’s stock valued at $266,403,000 after acquiring an additional 227,589 shares during the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other news, EVP Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $135.00, for a total transaction of $1,350,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 36,613 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,942,755. This represents a 21.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP David Maraldo sold 18,706 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $128.72, for a total value of $2,407,836.32. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 18,212 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,344,248.64. This represents a 50.67% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 228,238 shares of company stock valued at $29,977,783. Corporate insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Up 3.9%

MRK stock opened at $147.47 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $363.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 117.97, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.56 and a beta of 0.21. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $144.91 and a 200 day moving average price of $128.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.32 and a quick ratio of 1.10. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12 month low of $82.01 and a 12 month high of $156.92.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.26) by $0.13. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 4.77% and a return on equity of 16.73%. The company had revenue of $16.61 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.37 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.13 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc.’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.66 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th were issued a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio is presently 272.00%.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Keytruda and pipeline catalysts support Q3 optimism. Continued Keytruda sales growth, expanded indications and newer launches could help Merck exceed third-quarter expectations. Will Keytruda Continue to Aid Merck’s Top Line in Q3 Earnings?
• Positive Sentiment: Oncology pipeline data is an important longer-term catalyst. Merck plans to present first-time pivotal Phase 3 results from three studies and more than 90 additional abstracts at ESMO 2026, potentially providing evidence of growth opportunities as Keytruda eventually faces biosimilar pressure. Merck ESMO 2026 Oncology Pipeline Announcement
• Positive Sentiment: Management sounded constructive on the Moderna cancer vaccine partnership. CEO Rob Davis said manufacturing of the personalized cancer vaccine should become faster and more efficient as Merck and Moderna refine the complex production process. Merck CEO Discusses Cancer Vaccine Manufacturing
• Positive Sentiment: Leerink Partners initiated or reiterated a Buy rating on Merck, adding favorable analyst sentiment. Merck Gets a Buy Rating from Leerink Partners

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MRK has been the subject of several research analyst reports. TD Cowen upped their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $137.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 23rd. CICC Research began coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $138.00 target price on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $145.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a report on Monday. HSBC upped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $172.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, September 10th. Finally, UBS Group upped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $175.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 20th. Seventeen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $151.92.

About Merck & Co., Inc.

Merck & Co, Inc is a global healthcare company that develops and markets prescription medicines, vaccines, and animal-health products. The company serves patients, healthcare providers, and customers in markets around the world, with research and commercial operations spanning multiple geographic regions.

Its pharmaceutical portfolio includes oncology, infectious-disease, cardiovascular, immunology, and other therapeutic areas. Key products include Keytruda, an oncology treatment; Gardasil, a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine; Januvia and Janumet for type 2 diabetes; Bridion for anesthesia-related use; and Winrevair for pulmonary arterial hypertension.