Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Sold by King Luther Capital Management Corp

King Luther Capital Management Corp trimmed its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 2.0% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 983,107 shares of the company’s stock after selling 19,710 shares during the period. King Luther Capital Management Corp’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $103,482,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Kingdom Financial Group LLC. acquired a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. United Financial Planning Group LLC acquired a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the third quarter worth approximately $31,000. High Note Wealth LLC lifted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 58.9% in the fourth quarter. High Note Wealth LLC now owns 294 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 109 shares during the period. Tucker Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter worth approximately $34,000. Finally, Wealth Watch Advisors INC acquired a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the third quarter worth approximately $34,000. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck’s Keytruda combination with Padcev received support from Europe’s CHMP for certain bladder cancer patients, which could broaden use of one of Merck’s most important cancer franchises and support future revenue growth. Article: MRK Stock Gains After CHMP Backs Keytruda Combo for Bladder Cancer
• Positive Sentiment: Merck also announced a regular third-quarter 2026 dividend, reinforcing its appeal as a large-cap healthcare income stock. Article: Merck Announces Third-Quarter 2026 Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: A separate collaboration announcement with Adcendo highlights continued external development activity around KEYTRUDA, keeping Merck’s immuno-oncology platform in the spotlight. Article: Adcendo ApS Announces Clinical Collaboration and Supply Agreement with MSD
• Neutral Sentiment: Other articles mention Merck in the context of broader biotech and industry news, including Janux Therapeutics and a global IVP assay repository initiative, but these do not appear to be direct fundamental drivers for MRK shares. Article: Here’s Why You Should Add JANX Stock to Your Portfolio Now Article: Zifo, Pistoia Alliance, and Pharma Majors Launch Global IVP Assay Repository
• Negative Sentiment: A Minnesota jury found Merck liable in a mesothelioma-related talc lawsuit, renewing investor concerns about legal risks and potential future damages tied to the company’s legacy talc litigation. Article: Merck Talc Verdict Adds Fresh Liability Question For High Flying Shares

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:MRK opened at $119.75 on Wednesday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a one year low of $75.40 and a one year high of $125.14. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $116.13 and a 200-day moving average of $110.93. The company has a market capitalization of $295.76 billion, a PE ratio of 33.73, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a current ratio of 1.30.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($1.47) by $0.19. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 13.59% and a return on equity of 27.55%. The company had revenue of $16.29 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.85 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.22 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.16 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.85 per share. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s payout ratio is 95.77%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently commented on MRK. UBS Group increased their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, April 13th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $142.00 price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday, March 30th. Weiss Ratings downgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 16th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $128.18.

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.