Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Stake Reduced by Community Trust & Investment Co.

Community Trust & Investment Co. cut its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 11.0% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 34,265 shares of the company’s stock after selling 4,216 shares during the period. Community Trust & Investment Co.’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $4,403,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter valued at about $3,997,933,000. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its position 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 last quarter. Cardano Risk Management B.V. bought a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter worth about $1,012,530,000. Jennison Associates LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $585,192,000. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD raised its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 37.9% during the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 18,753,390 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,973,983,000 after buying an additional 5,152,069 shares during the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Recent approvals and label-expansion efforts for KEYTRUDA and ENFLONSIA, together with Merck’s raised 2026 revenue outlook, are reinforcing the investment case. One analysis estimates the shares may still be modestly undervalued after a strong recent run. Merck Could Be Undervalued on Raised Outlook and Approvals
• Positive Sentiment: Positive cancer-drug trial readouts and broader strength across biotechnology and pharmaceutical stocks could support investor interest in Merck’s oncology portfolio and pipeline. These New Drugs Could Fuel Fresh Highs for Biotech and Pharma Stocks
• Neutral Sentiment: An industry report identifies continued opportunities in endometrial cancer, including frontline immunotherapy combinations, companion diagnostics and precision therapies. The report highlights Merck as a participant but does not announce a new company-specific deal or result. Endometrial Cancer Market Share Analysis and Industry Trends
• Negative Sentiment: Three Merck executive vice presidents reported selling a combined 86,553 shares for approximately $11.2 million. The transactions reduced their individual holdings by roughly 24% to 62%, which may weigh on sentiment, although insider sales do not necessarily indicate a change in company fundamentals. Chirfi Guindo SEC Form 4 David Michael Williams SEC Form 4 David R. Maraldo SEC Form 4
• Negative Sentiment: Merck is working to diversify beyond KEYTRUDA ahead of its expected 2028 patent expiration. The need for acquisitions, partnerships and new growth platforms underscores the long-term revenue risk associated with the company’s largest product. Merck Is Racing Beyond KEYTRUDA

Analyst Ratings Changes

MRK has been the subject of several analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Bank of America lifted their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $141.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. Citigroup began coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $125.00 price target for the company. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Finally, Barclays raised their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $134.56.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Up 0.2%

Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $128.61 on Friday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12-month low of $77.58 and a 12-month high of $135.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.30 and a quick ratio of 1.06. The stock has a market capitalization of $317.64 billion, a PE ratio of 102.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.53 and a beta of 0.19. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $123.98 and a 200-day simple moving average of $119.11.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.26) by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $16.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $16.37 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 16.05% and a net margin of 4.77%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.13 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.77 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be paid a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s payout ratio is currently 272.00%.

Insider Transactions at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other news, EVP Chirfi Guindo sold 15,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $131.00, for a total value of $1,965,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 46,613 shares in the company, valued at $6,106,303. This represents a 24.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP David Michael Williams sold 52,847 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $128.77, for a total value of $6,805,108.19. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 31,716 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,084,069.32. This represents a 62.49% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 86,553 shares of company stock valued at $11,177,945. Corporate insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

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.