Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Stock Sold by Godsey & Gibb Inc.

Godsey & Gibb Inc. trimmed its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 3.5% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 217,021 shares of the company’s stock after selling 7,854 shares during the period. Merck & Co., Inc. comprises 2.2% of Godsey & Gibb Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 8th biggest holding. Godsey & Gibb Inc.’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $31,535,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Horizons Wealth Management acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the third quarter worth $30,000. Bullseye Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the second quarter worth $27,000. Abound Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Graney & King LLC lifted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 400.0% in the 2nd quarter. Graney & King LLC now owns 250 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Montgomery Financial Services LLC acquired a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $41,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Keytruda and pipeline catalysts support Q3 optimism. Continued Keytruda sales growth, expanded indications and newer launches could help Merck exceed third-quarter expectations. Will Keytruda Continue to Aid Merck’s Top Line in Q3 Earnings?
• Positive Sentiment: Oncology pipeline data is an important longer-term catalyst. Merck plans to present first-time pivotal Phase 3 results from three studies and more than 90 additional abstracts at ESMO 2026, potentially providing evidence of growth opportunities as Keytruda eventually faces biosimilar pressure. Merck ESMO 2026 Oncology Pipeline Announcement
• Positive Sentiment: Management sounded constructive on the Moderna cancer vaccine partnership. CEO Rob Davis said manufacturing of the personalized cancer vaccine should become faster and more efficient as Merck and Moderna refine the complex production process. Merck CEO Discusses Cancer Vaccine Manufacturing
• Positive Sentiment: Leerink Partners initiated or reiterated a Buy rating on Merck, adding favorable analyst sentiment. Merck Gets a Buy Rating from Leerink Partners

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Up 3.9%

NYSE:MRK opened at $147.47 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $363.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 117.97, a P/E/G ratio of 6.56 and a beta of 0.21. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $144.91 and its 200 day moving average price is $128.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.32. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52 week low of $82.01 and a 52 week high of $156.92.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.26) by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $16.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $16.37 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 4.77% and a return on equity of 16.73%. The company’s revenue was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.13 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.66 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th were paid a dividend of $0.85 per share. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, September 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio is 272.00%.

Insider Activity at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other news, EVP David Williams sold 52,847 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $128.77, for a total transaction of $6,805,108.19. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 31,716 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,084,069.32. This represents a 62.49% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Richard Deluca sold 11,699 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $131.63, for a total value of $1,539,939.37. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 110,167 shares in the company, valued at $14,501,282.21. The trade was a 9.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 228,238 shares of company stock worth $29,977,783 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on MRK. Bank of America increased their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. HSBC lifted their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $172.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. Berenberg Bank increased their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $127.00 to $137.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, September 11th. Daiwa Securities Group upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $143.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, September 4th. Seventeen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $151.92.

About Merck & Co., Inc.

Merck & Co, Inc is a global healthcare company that develops and markets prescription medicines, vaccines, and animal-health products. The company serves patients, healthcare providers, and customers in markets around the world, with research and commercial operations spanning multiple geographic regions.

Its pharmaceutical portfolio includes oncology, infectious-disease, cardiovascular, immunology, and other therapeutic areas. Key products include Keytruda, an oncology treatment; Gardasil, a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine; Januvia and Janumet for type 2 diabetes; Bridion for anesthesia-related use; and Winrevair for pulmonary arterial hypertension.