18,326 Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Sold by Ninety One UK Ltd

Ninety One UK Ltd lessened its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 18.5% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 80,584 shares of the company’s stock after selling 18,326 shares during the period. Ninety One UK Ltd’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $11,710,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of MRK. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 23.8% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 15,456,039 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,858,938,000 after acquiring an additional 2,969,856 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 10.5% in the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 30,774,221 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,701,831,000 after purchasing an additional 2,919,780 shares during the period. Corient Private Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 114.7% in the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 5,210,548 shares of the company’s stock valued at $548,462,000 after purchasing an additional 2,783,482 shares during the period. Employees Provident Fund Board bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter valued at about $254,206,000. Finally, Diamant Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 12,130.3% in the 1st quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. now owns 2,068,387 shares of the company’s stock valued at $248,806,000 after purchasing an additional 2,051,475 shares during the period. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck plans to present first-time pivotal Phase 3 data at ESMO 2026 for oncology programs including melanoma and endometrial cancer. The company will also hold an oncology investor event, potentially giving investors greater visibility into growth opportunities beyond Keytruda. What Could Merck Reveal At ESMO 2026 About Its Oncology Pipeline?
• Positive Sentiment: CEO Rob Davis said Merck and Moderna expect manufacturing of their personalized cancer vaccine to become faster over time. Improving production efficiency could support broader commercialization of the vaccine, although manufacturing remains complex. Merck CEO Tells CNBC He Expects Breakthrough Cancer Vaccine Will Become Faster to Make
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts expect Keytruda sales growth, newer product launches and expanded indications to support third-quarter revenue. However, biosimilar competition is expected to become a more significant risk in 2028–2029, making pipeline execution increasingly important. Will Keytruda Continue to Aid Merck’s Top Line in Q3 Earnings?
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck’s dividend yield is about 2.3%, but comparisons with Amgen highlight differing levels of dividend coverage and cash-flow flexibility. The analysis may influence income-focused investors but does not introduce a new company-specific catalyst. AMGN vs. MRK: Which Pharma Giant’s Dividend Actually Has Room to Grow
• Negative Sentiment: Merck trades at a premium valuation of roughly 5.5 times sales, increasing the market’s expectations for sustained growth. Investors are also monitoring the changing emphasis in management’s strategy and continuing challenges for the Gardasil vaccine business in China. How Has Merck’s Story Changed?

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP David Williams sold 52,847 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 31,716 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,084,069.32. This trade represents a 62.49% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 80,315 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.46, for a total value of $10,718,839.90. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 45,509 shares in the company, valued at $6,073,631.14. This represents a 63.83% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 228,238 shares of company stock worth $29,977,783 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have issued reports on MRK shares. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, October 3rd. Berenberg Bank lifted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $127.00 to $137.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, September 11th. Citigroup boosted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday. Argus increased their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 25th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein increased their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 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 a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $151.92.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

MRK stock opened at $145.66 on Friday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $145.26 and a 200 day simple moving average of $129.12. The stock has a market cap of $359.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 116.53, a P/E/G ratio of 6.81 and a beta of 0.21. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1 year low of $82.01 and a 1 year high of $156.92. 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. (NYSE:MRK) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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 business had revenue of $16.61 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.37 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.13 EPS. The firm’s revenue 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. Research analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.66 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

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

Merck & Co., Inc. Profile

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.