Prospera Financial Services Inc Purchases 8,096 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Prospera Financial Services Inc increased its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 7.9% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 110,526 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 8,096 shares during the period. Prospera Financial Services Inc’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $9,281,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 9.4% during the 2nd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 53,865,466 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,263,991,000 after acquiring an additional 4,636,183 shares during the last quarter. DLD Asset Management LP purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 2nd quarter worth $2,889,340,000. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the second quarter worth about $2,858,570,000. Franklin Resources Inc. raised its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 23.5% during the 2nd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 27,032,601 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,139,901,000 after acquiring an additional 5,135,748 shares during the period. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.3% in the 2nd quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 25,013,697 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,980,084,000 after buying an additional 567,900 shares during the period. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. BMO Capital Markets upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and upped their target price for the stock from $82.00 to $130.00 in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $92.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Scotiabank upped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “sector outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 4th. TD Cowen upped their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Merck & Co., Inc. presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $120.93.

Insider Activity at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, EVP David Michael Williams sold 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.91, for a total transaction of $609,550.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 30,838 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,759,460.58. The trade was a 13.95% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Johannes Jacobus Oosthuizen sold 15,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated 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 owned 21,197 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,583,278.39. The trade was a 41.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 320,176 shares of company stock worth $38,281,735 in the last quarter. 0.09% of the stock is owned by insiders.

More Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Short interest fell ~14.6% in January to ~28.7M shares (≈1.2% of float), lowering short‑pressure and reducing the odds of a short‑squeeze‑driven reversal. (Data: Jan. 30 short interest)
• Positive Sentiment: Bullish research argues Merck’s recent rally isn’t excess — analysts highlight extended Keytruda exclusivity, QLEX migration and pipeline/BD upside as durable revenue drivers. This supports longer‑term upside expectations. Merck: A Buy For 2026, But The Clock Is Still Ticking
• Positive Sentiment: Merck entered a strategic collaboration with Calla Lily Clinical Care to advance an intravaginal drug‑delivery platform (Callavid®), expanding non‑oncology device/partnered opportunities that could augment future topline or BD interest. Calla Lily Collaboration
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck reaffirmed solid fundamentals: recent quarter beat estimates, announced a $0.85 quarterly dividend (ex‑dividend March 16) and provided FY‑2026 EPS guidance. These support income/long‑term holders but may be largely priced in near term.
• Negative Sentiment: Large, high‑visibility insider sale: EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 121,573 shares (~$14.5M) at ≈$119.15 and materially reduced her stake — a prominent executive sale that can spook short‑term traders. Form 4 — Jennifer Zachary
• Negative Sentiment: Additional insider sales: CMO Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares (~$1.18M) and other senior executives (including the CFO and another EVP) disclosed multi‑million dollar sales, amplifying negative sentiment from leadership selling. Form 4 — Chirfi Guindo CFO Sale Coverage
• Negative Sentiment: Some market commentary and at least one downgrade flag a near‑term balancing act — caution about valuation after a strong run and nearer‑term catalysts keeps trading volatility elevated. Balancing Act Article

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Down 0.5%

NYSE:MRK opened at $117.12 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.44, a current ratio of 1.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. The stock has a market capitalization of $290.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.09, a PEG ratio of 2.20 and a beta of 0.28. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52 week low of $73.31 and a 52 week high of $122.66. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $107.22 and a 200 day moving average of $93.75.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.04 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.01 by $0.03. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 45.22% and a net margin of 28.08%.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 company earned $1.72 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.000-5.150 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate 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. Investors of record on Monday, March 16th will be paid a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 16th. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.9%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 46.70%.

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.