Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Sold by Grandfield & Dodd LLC

Grandfield & Dodd LLC lowered its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 2.4% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 171,554 shares of the company’s stock after selling 4,221 shares during the period. Merck & Co., Inc. accounts for approximately 1.2% of Grandfield & Dodd LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 27th biggest holding. Grandfield & Dodd LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $22,045,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MRK. BlackRock Inc. raised its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.5% in the second quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 226,999,837 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,169,479,000 after buying an additional 1,073,507 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 1.6% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 120,040,168 shares of the company’s stock worth $12,737,504,000 after acquiring an additional 1,859,990 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 14.8% during the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 86,435,458 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,098,196,000 after acquiring an additional 11,156,354 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 60,047,984 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,307,572,000 after acquiring an additional 249,110 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 44,946,021 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,731,018,000 after acquiring an additional 359,486 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 80,315 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.46, for a total transaction of $10,718,839.90. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 45,509 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,073,631.14. This trade represents a 63.83% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $135.00, for a total transaction of $1,350,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 36,613 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,942,755. This trade represents a 21.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 228,238 shares of company stock valued at $29,977,783. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on MRK shares. Argus boosted their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted 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. Morgan Stanley raised Merck & Co., Inc. from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $116.00 to $179.00 in a research note on Thursday, August 20th. Guggenheim upped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $146.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Citigroup started coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $125.00 price target on the stock. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Merck & Co., Inc. currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $147.60.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Positive melanoma results strengthen the pipeline. Merck and Moderna reported positive Phase 3 topline results for intismeran autogene, an individualized neoantigen therapy used with KEYTRUDA in resected melanoma. The program could create a new growth opportunity and help extend KEYTRUDA’s commercial runway. Merck Surges on a Melanoma Win
• Positive Sentiment: A busy fall catalyst calendar is attracting investors. Upcoming FDA decisions, additional pipeline updates and a pivotal cancer-vaccine readout could materially influence expectations for Merck’s post-KEYTRUDA growth profile. What Would It Take to Get MRK Stock to $200?
• Positive Sentiment: Pipeline progress, new product launches and potential M&A are improving the long-term growth outlook and easing concerns about eventual KEYTRUDA revenue pressure. Merck Stock Hits New 52-Week High
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts have become more bullish. Wolfe Research raised its price target from $155 to $180 with an outperform rating, while Argus increased its target from $145 to $170 and upgraded the stock to buy. These revisions provide additional support for the recent advance.
• Neutral Sentiment: The cancer-vaccine opportunity remains uncertain. Reuters noted that evidence for broad use of the personalized therapy is still limited, with manufacturing, patient-selection and clinical-adoption challenges potentially affecting its commercial impact. How the Merck-Moderna Cancer Vaccine Works
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and execution risks are increasing. After gaining roughly 19% over the past month and trading near its 52-week high, MRK is approaching analyst targets, leaving less room for disappointment. Investors will likely focus on whether upcoming approvals and trial results can justify further upside.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $153.21 on Thursday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $130.39 and a 200-day simple moving average of $122.04. The stock has a market cap of $378.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 122.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.56 and a beta of 0.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.32 and a quick ratio of 1.10. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1-year low of $77.58 and a 1-year high of $156.92.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.26) by $0.13. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 4.77% and a return on equity of 16.73%. The firm had revenue of $16.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.37 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.13 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.76 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The firm 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. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s payout ratio is currently 272.00%.

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.