4,452 Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Sold by Guyasuta Investment Advisors Inc.

Guyasuta Investment Advisors Inc. cut its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 6.8% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 61,219 shares of the company’s stock after selling 4,452 shares during the quarter. Guyasuta Investment Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $8,896,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in MRK. Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC bought a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the second quarter worth approximately $11,470,000. Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.0% during the second quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 2,578,024 shares of the company’s stock valued at $331,931,000 after buying an additional 51,393 shares during the last quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 7.0% during the second quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 6,184,340 shares of the company’s stock valued at $794,577,000 after acquiring an additional 402,011 shares in the last quarter. Talon Private Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the second quarter valued at approximately $995,000. Finally, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 12.3% during the second quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 2,073,176 shares of the company’s stock valued at $266,403,000 after acquiring an additional 227,589 shares in the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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?

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on MRK shares. HSBC boosted their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $172.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, September 10th. Guggenheim increased their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $146.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 8th. Berenberg Bank increased their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $127.00 to $137.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, September 11th. Leerink Partners lifted their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $127.00 to $161.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 9th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, September 4th. Seventeen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $151.92.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

MRK opened at $145.66 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.32. The stock has a market capitalization of $359.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 116.53, a P/E/G ratio of 6.81 and a beta of 0.21. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $145.26 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $129.12. 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 announced its quarterly 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 for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.37 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 4.77% and a return on equity of 16.73%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.13 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.66 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed 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. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s payout ratio is presently 272.00%.

Insider Activity at Merck & Co., Inc.

In related news, EVP David R. Maraldo sold 18,706 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $128.72, for a total value of $2,407,836.32. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 18,212 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,344,248.64. This trade represents a 50.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Chirfi Guindo sold 15,000 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $131.00, for a total transaction of $1,965,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 46,613 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,106,303. This trade represents a 24.35% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 228,238 shares of company stock valued at $29,977,783 over the last quarter. 0.17% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.