Allworth Financial LP Sells 54,355 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Allworth Financial LP lowered its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 20.7% in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 208,546 shares of the company’s stock after selling 54,355 shares during the quarter. Allworth Financial LP’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $26,798,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Arizona State Retirement System boosted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.9% in the second quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 686,042 shares of the company’s stock worth $88,156,000 after buying an additional 6,296 shares during the last quarter. West Family Investments Inc. increased its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 1.5% during the second quarter. West Family Investments Inc. now owns 12,703 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,632,000 after buying an additional 187 shares during the last quarter. Waverly Advisors LLC raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.7% in the second quarter. Waverly Advisors LLC now owns 260,499 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,474,000 after acquiring an additional 1,865 shares during the period. Empirical Finance LLC raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.1% in the second quarter. Empirical Finance LLC now owns 93,774 shares of the company’s stock worth $12,050,000 after acquiring an additional 2,830 shares during the period. Finally, Nykredit A S purchased a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 2nd quarter worth $92,324,000. Institutional investors own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of MRK stock traded down $1.89 on Tuesday, hitting $148.44. 11,184,680 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 10,784,977. 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 52 week low of $77.58 and a 52 week high of $156.92. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $135.06 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $123.73. The firm has a market cap of $366.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 118.75, a PEG ratio of 6.54 and a beta of 0.21.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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 company 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 posted $2.13 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc.’s quarterly 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. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.76 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.85 per share. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 272.00%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MRK has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Bank of America boosted their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $141.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. Weiss Ratings raised Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Guggenheim raised their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $146.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $149.80.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 80,315 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.46, for a total transaction of $10,718,839.90. Following the completion of the transaction, 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 ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP David Williams sold 52,847 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $128.77, for a total transaction of $6,805,108.19. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 31,716 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,084,069.32. This represents a 62.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 228,238 shares of company stock valued at $29,977,783. Company insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Guggenheim raised its price target for Merck (MRK) to $170 from $146 and upgraded the shares to “buy,” implying roughly 14.5% potential upside from the referenced price. The upgrade provides a near-term positive catalyst and signals increased confidence in Merck’s growth prospects.
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts continue to point to Keytruda as the company’s primary growth engine, while Merck’s pipeline and newer products could help offset the expected impact of the 2028 patent cliff. This supports the stock’s strong performance and may reinforce the bullish outlook. Merck Trading Near 52-Week High: Is the Stock a Buy, Hold or Sell?
• Positive Sentiment: Merck will participate in Morgan Stanley’s 24th Annual Global Healthcare Conference. Management commentary on Keytruda demand, the pipeline, and preparations for the patent expiration could provide an additional catalyst if it exceeds investor expectations. Merck to Participate in the Morgan Stanley 24th Annual Global Healthcare Conference
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports forecast continued expansion in the global vaccine and pulmonary arterial hypertension markets, areas in which Merck participates. However, the market reports do not announce a new Merck contract, product approval, or financial forecast, limiting their immediate stock impact.
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck’s pilot with The Hashgraph Group and PwC Germany involves blockchain-based cocoa traceability. The initiative may support corporate technology and sustainability goals but is unlikely to materially affect near-term earnings. The Hashgraph Group and Merck Develop Cocoa Traceability Solution
• Negative Sentiment: With MRK near a record level and trading at a high earnings multiple, investors may require continued execution to justify the valuation. The eventual loss of Keytruda exclusivity remains the key long-term risk, while the earlier Gardasil sales downturn shows that vaccine weakness can pressure results.

Merck & Co., Inc. Company Profile

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.