Intech Investment Management LLC Sells 412,916 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Intech Investment Management LLC reduced its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 39.9% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 621,810 shares of the company’s stock after selling 412,916 shares during the quarter. Merck & Co., Inc. makes up about 0.5% of Intech Investment Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 29th largest position. Intech Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $52,189,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. Chemung Canal Trust Co. raised its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 21.1% during the 3rd quarter. Chemung Canal Trust Co. now owns 76,338 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,407,000 after acquiring an additional 13,285 shares during the period. First Pacific Financial boosted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 14.7% in the third quarter. First Pacific Financial now owns 47,555 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,991,000 after acquiring an additional 6,082 shares during the period. Diversified Trust Co grew its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 9.6% in the third quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 207,838 shares of the company’s stock valued at $17,444,000 after purchasing an additional 18,187 shares in the last quarter. Caxton Associates LLP raised its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 23.3% during the 2nd quarter. Caxton Associates LLP now owns 39,421 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,121,000 after purchasing an additional 7,458 shares during the period. Finally, Amplius Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 117.4% during the 2nd quarter. Amplius Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 6,165 shares of the company’s stock valued at $488,000 after purchasing an additional 3,329 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have commented on MRK shares. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $102.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, December 12th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $92.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Royal Bank Of Canada initiated coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Wednesday. They set an “outperform” rating and a $142.00 price objective for the company. UBS Group increased their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $125.88.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Down 1.1%

Shares of MRK opened at $122.52 on Thursday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1-year low of $73.31 and a 1-year high of $125.14. The company has a market capitalization of $304.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.83, a P/E/G ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 1.66 and a quick ratio of 1.44. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $112.11 and its 200 day simple moving average is $96.81.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.04 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.01 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $16.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.19 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 28.08% and a return on equity of 45.22%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.72 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.000-5.150 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast 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 declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 7th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 16th will be given a dividend of $0.85 per share. 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 (DPR) is presently 46.70%.

Insider Activity

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, CMO Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.41, for a total transaction of $1,184,100.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief marketing officer owned 70,615 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,361,522.15. The trade was a 12.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP David Michael Williams sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.91, for a total value of $609,550.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 30,838 shares in the company, valued at $3,759,460.58. This trade represents a 13.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 320,176 shares of company stock valued at $38,281,735. 0.13% 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: FDA approval in animal health: Merck Animal Health won U.S. FDA approval for NUMELVI (atinvicitinib) tablets for dogs, giving Merck a first‑to‑market second‑generation JAK inhibitor in veterinary dermatology and expanding recurring revenue potential in its animal health division. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: HIV regimen data and regulatory progress: Merck reported late‑breaking Phase 3 data for the two‑drug doravirine/islatravir (DOR/ISL) regimen that matched Gilead’s Biktarvy and is under FDA review — a potential new chronic product to offset future revenue declines. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Late‑breaking CROI data: Merck announced three Phase 3 datasets for DOR/ISL at CROI 2026, reinforcing the clinical case and regulatory timing for the HIV regimen. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Pediatric RSV asset shows promise: Positive Phase 3 SMART trial results for ENFLONSIA (clesrovimab) in infants/children under 2 expand Merck’s respiratory pipeline optionality. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage and industry chatter: RBC initiated coverage with an Outperform and $142 PT (supportive), while Zacks, Barchart and other outlets note strong relative performance and investor interest — these shape sentiment but are not immediate revenue drivers. Article Title Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Corporate events and strategy reports: Merck will present at TD Cowen and appears in digital transformation profiles — useful for longer‑term narrative and institutional engagement. Article Title Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Keytruda patent cliff and revenue risk: Coverage points to an upcoming Keytruda patent cliff that remains the major long‑term headwind; investors may be taking profits from recent multi‑session gains while awaiting clearer offsetting revenues from new launches. Article Title

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.