Rep. Josh Gottheimer Buys Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Stock

Representative Josh Gottheimer (Democratic-New Jersey) recently bought shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK). In a filing disclosed on March 16th, the Representative disclosed that they had bought between $1,001 and $15,000 in Merck & Co., Inc. stock on February 4th. The trade occurred in the Representative’s “MORGAN STANLEY – SELECT UMA ACCOUNT # 1” account.

Representative Josh Gottheimer also recently made the following trade(s):

• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Infineon Technologies (OTCMKTS:IFNNY) on 2/27/2026.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:PANW) on 2/27/2026.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Federal Signal (NYSE:FSS) on 2/26/2026.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Intuit (NASDAQ:INTU) on 2/20/2026.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Carvana (NYSE:CVNA) on 2/18/2026.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Visa (NYSE:V) on 2/18/2026.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) on 2/5/2026.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Cummins (NYSE:CMI) on 2/5/2026.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of GE Vernova (NYSE:GEV) on 2/5/2026.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) on 2/4/2026.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

NYSE MRK traded up $2.96 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $119.33. The stock had a trading volume of 10,184,414 shares, compared to its average volume of 12,300,316. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52-week low of $73.31 and a 52-week high of $125.14. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $116.10 and a 200 day moving average of $101.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 1.30 and a current ratio of 1.54. The stock has a market cap of $295.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.24 and a beta of 0.27.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.01 by $0.03. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 28.08% and a return on equity of 44.57%. The company had revenue of $16.40 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.19 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.72 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc.’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.000-5.150 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 earnings per share for the current 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 given 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 2.8%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio is currently 46.70%.

More Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck agreed to acquire Terns Pharmaceuticals for $53.00 per share in cash, valuing the deal at roughly $6.7 billion to add TERN‑701 (an oral allosteric BCR::ABL1 inhibitor in Phase 1/2) to its hematology/oncology portfolio — clear strategic rationale for investors focused on Keytruda patent risk. Merck to Acquire Terns Pharmaceuticals
• Positive Sentiment: Major media and market outlets framed the deal as a timely pipeline bolt-on ahead of Keytruda’s looming loss of exclusivity, reinforcing the strategic narrative and investor confidence. Reuters: Merck boosts cancer portfolio
• Positive Sentiment: Some analysts responded positively — Citi raised its price target on MRK to $125 (from $120), signaling continued analyst support despite a Neutral rating. Citi Raises Price Target
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck hosted an M&A investor call and released a transcript; these details provide clarity on deal terms, timing and integration plans but are informational rather than market-moving by themselves. M&A Call Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Separately, Merck announced a multi-year collaboration with Quotient Therapeutics on IBD target discovery (potential milestones up to ~$2.2B) — a longer‑term research play rather than immediate revenue impact. Quotient Collaboration
• Negative Sentiment: Some coverage flags potential pushback or complications around the takeover (regulatory, integration or competitive dynamics), which could create execution risk or slow deal benefits if challenges arise. Why Merck Might Have A Fight

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Merck & Co., Inc.

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter worth about $3,997,933,000. DLD Asset Management LP acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 2nd quarter worth about $2,889,340,000. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 14.8% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 86,435,458 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,098,196,000 after purchasing an additional 11,156,354 shares during the period. Cardano Risk Management B.V. purchased a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter worth approximately $1,012,530,000. Finally, Jennison Associates LLC purchased a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter worth approximately $585,192,000. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages recently issued reports on MRK. Bank of America raised their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, December 15th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $92.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Royal Bank Of Canada started coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $142.00 price target on the stock. Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $116.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Wolfe Research raised 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. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $127.13.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CMO Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.41, for a total value of $1,184,100.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief marketing officer directly owned 70,615 shares in the company, valued at $8,361,522.15. The trade was a 12.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 121,573 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.15, for a total value of $14,485,422.95. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 68,916 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,211,341.40. The trade was a 63.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

About Representative Gottheimer

Josh Gottheimer (Democratic Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing New Jersey’s 5th Congressional District. He assumed office on January 3, 2017. His current term ends on January 3, 2027.

Gottheimer (Democratic Party) is running for re-election to the U.S. House to represent New Jersey’s 5th Congressional District. He declared candidacy for the 2026 election.

Gottheimer is also running for election for Governor of New Jersey. He declared candidacy for the Democratic primary scheduled on June 10, 2025.

Gottheimer attended the University of Pennsylvania for his undergraduate degree. He became a Thouron Fellow at Oxford and attended Harvard Law School. Gottheimer worked as a speech writer under former President Bill Clinton (D), assisting with two State of the Union addresses, among other projects. Before running for Congress, he worked for Microsoft as a general manager for corporate strategy.

Merck & Co., Inc. Company 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.