Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. Sells 11,515 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. lessened its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 38.1% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 18,735 shares of the company’s stock after selling 11,515 shares during the period. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P.’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $1,972,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in MRK. Darwin Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 237.4% during the 3rd quarter. Darwin Wealth Management LLC now owns 307 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 216 shares in the last quarter. Kilter Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the second quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 302.3% during the third quarter. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 354 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 266 shares during the last quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the second quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, United Financial Planning Group LLC bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the third quarter worth $31,000. Institutional investors own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Up 1.8%

MRK stock opened at $120.26 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $297.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.52, a P/E/G ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 0.27. The company has a current ratio of 1.54, a quick ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $117.04 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $102.55. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1-year low of $73.31 and a 1-year high of $125.14.

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

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 7th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 16th will be given a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 16th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.8%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s payout ratio is currently 46.70%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Wolfe Research raised Merck & Co., Inc. from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $135.00 price target for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $135.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Cantor Fitzgerald boosted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $116.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Barclays assumed coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Friday, February 20th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 price objective for the company. One investment 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, Merck & Co., Inc. has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $127.13.

Insider Transactions at Merck & Co., Inc.

In related news, CMO Chirfi Guindo sold 20,000 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.88, for a total value of $2,437,600.00. Following the sale, the chief marketing officer owned 80,615 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,825,356.20. The trade was a 19.88% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Robert M. Davis sold 47,434 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.04, for a total value of $5,599,109.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 443,602 shares in the company, valued at approximately $52,362,780.08. The trade was a 9.66% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 320,176 shares of company stock valued at $38,281,735. Corporate insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an “Outperform” rating and a $142 price target on MRK, implying material upside from current levels and signaling continued analyst confidence. Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Earns Outperform Rating from Royal Bank Of Canada
• Positive Sentiment: Merck entered an antibody-discovery collaboration with Infinimmune that could pay up to ~$838 million in milestones — broadening Merck’s immuno-oncology/antibody pipeline at relatively low upfront risk. Infinimmune, Merck enter into antibody discovery pact
• Positive Sentiment: Late‑stage data show Merck’s oral cholesterol drug reduced “bad” cholesterol by ~64.6%, strengthening prospects for a new cardiovascular product and potential commercial upside outside oncology. Merck’s drug reduced bad cholesterol by 64.6% in late-stage trial
• Positive Sentiment: Merck’s $6.7B acquisition of Terns (highlighted by MarketBeat) is being positioned as a significant oncology growth engine, which supports longer‑term revenue diversification and margin resilience. Merck Just Made a Big Bet on a New Cancer Growth Engine
• Neutral Sentiment: Market headlines note MRK has risen recently but still underperforms the broader market on some sessions — suggesting investor enthusiasm is present but uneven versus cyclical leaders. Merck & Co. Inc. stock rises Tuesday, still underperforms market
• Neutral Sentiment: Barclays included Merck among defensive picks to weather market uncertainty, which may support demand from risk‑averse institutional buyers but is not an active earnings catalyst. Barclays names top 4 defensive stocks to weather global uncertainty
• Negative Sentiment: Short‑term volatility remains: some sessions showed MRK dipping more than the broader market, indicating profit‑taking or sensitivity to macro swings despite positive company news. Merck (MRK) Dips More Than Broader Market: What You Should Know

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.