Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Sold by Pacer Advisors Inc.

Pacer Advisors Inc. decreased its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 83.2% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 732,981 shares of the company’s stock after selling 3,618,416 shares during the period. Pacer Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $88,170,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Chesapeake Wealth Management increased its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. Chesapeake Wealth Management now owns 14,740 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,552,000 after buying an additional 87 shares during the period. South Plains Financial Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.6% during the fourth quarter. South Plains Financial Inc. now owns 15,535 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,635,000 after acquiring an additional 89 shares during the period. Syverson Strege & Co boosted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.2% during the fourth quarter. Syverson Strege & Co now owns 4,142 shares of the company’s stock valued at $436,000 after acquiring an additional 90 shares during the period. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV grew its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.4% during the first quarter. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV now owns 23,433 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,819,000 after acquiring an additional 91 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Westside Investment Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.1% during the fourth quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,142 shares of the company’s stock worth $331,000 after acquiring an additional 93 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of MRK opened at $130.49 on Monday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a one year low of $77.53 and a one year high of $135.05. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $123.17 and its 200-day moving average is $118.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a current ratio of 1.30. The firm has a market capitalization of $322.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.17 and a beta of 0.19.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($1.47) by $0.19. The business had revenue of $16.29 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.85 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 13.59% and a return on equity of 27.55%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.22 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.74 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be given a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio is 95.77%.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck’s launch of subcutaneous Keytruda, known as Qlex, and other lifecycle extensions could preserve the drug’s commercial momentum and support exclusivity through 2039. Recent regulatory approvals, pipeline progress and the acquisitions of Terns and Cidara also broaden the company’s oncology and virology prospects. Merck: Heading Into Q2 Earnings, The Keytruda Cliff Looks Increasingly Less Steep
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst estimates have improved, including Erste Group’s modest increase in its FY2027 EPS forecast to $9.54 from $9.52. Barclays has also forecast strong potential appreciation for MRK, reinforcing the constructive sentiment around the shares. Barclays Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Merck & Co., Inc. Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Merck declared a quarterly dividend of $0.85 per share, payable October 7 to shareholders of record September 15. The dividend provides ongoing income support, with a reported annualized yield of about 2.6%.
• Neutral Sentiment: MRK is scheduled to release second-quarter 2026 results before the market opens on August 4. Consensus calls for approximately $16.33 billion in sales and a loss of $0.26 per share, with acquisition costs likely affecting reported earnings. Investors will watch Keytruda demand, Gardasil performance and management’s outlook. Should You Buy, Sell or Hold Merck Stock Ahead of Q2 Earnings?
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck and Wellcome’s Hilleman Laboratories are preparing an experimental Ebola vaccine for clinical trials. The initiative supports Merck’s public-health profile but is unlikely to materially affect near-term financial results. Merck, Wellcome Partner With Global Health Group to Make Ebola Vaccine for Clinical Trials
• Negative Sentiment: After a roughly 17% rally since its latest quarterly results, MRK may already reflect much of the favorable Keytruda and pipeline news. Analysts characterize its longer-term valuation as justified rather than clearly inexpensive, while Gardasil weakness and the approaching earnings event remain risks. Merck Stock Looks Cheap on Cash Flow but Fair on Earnings

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently weighed in on MRK. Scotiabank lifted their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $136.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a “sector outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $141.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. CICC Research assumed coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $138.00 target price for the company. Guggenheim raised their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $112.00 to $113.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $134.50.

About Merck & Co., Inc.

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.