State Street Corp Has $15.57 Billion Position in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

State Street Corp boosted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 0.9% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 120,413,256 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,087,583 shares during the period. State Street Corp’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $15,573,754,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. BlackRock Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.5% during the 2nd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 226,999,837 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,169,479,000 after purchasing an additional 1,073,507 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.3% in the second quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 86,249,283 shares of the company’s stock valued at $11,083,033,000 after purchasing an additional 1,934,312 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 60,047,984 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,307,572,000 after purchasing an additional 249,110 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter worth about $3,997,933,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE lifted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 10.5% during the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 30,774,221 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,701,831,000 after purchasing an additional 2,919,780 shares during the period. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:MRK traded up $1.73 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $151.23. 3,174,174 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 10,748,557. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1-year low of $77.58 and a 1-year high of $156.92. The company has a market capitalization of $373.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 121.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.39 and a beta of 0.21. The company has a quick ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 1.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. The business’s 50 day moving average is $138.97 and its 200-day moving average is $125.44.

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

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.85 per share. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s payout ratio is 272.00%.

Insider Activity at Merck & Co., Inc.

In related news, EVP David Williams sold 52,847 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 31,716 shares in the company, valued at $4,084,069.32. This trade represents a 62.49% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP David R. Maraldo sold 18,706 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $128.72, for a total transaction of $2,407,836.32. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 18,212 shares in the company, valued at $2,344,248.64. The trade was a 50.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 228,238 shares of company stock valued at $29,977,783. Corporate insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have commented on MRK shares. Wolfe Research raised their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $155.00 to $180.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 25th. Leerink Partners upped their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $127.00 to $161.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 9th. Barclays increased their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Sunday. Finally, Guggenheim boosted their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $146.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 8th. Seventeen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $154.24.

Key Stories Impacting Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: The U.S. FDA approved an update to the WINREVAIR label to include data from the Phase 3 HYPERION trial in recently diagnosed adults with pulmonary arterial hypertension. The expanded evidence may support broader adoption of the product and strengthens Merck’s growth prospects beyond KEYTRUDA. FDA approves WINREVAIR label update
• Positive Sentiment: Japan approved KEYTRUDA QLEX, Merck’s first subcutaneous KEYTRUDA formulation, for all locally approved KEYTRUDA indications. The faster, more convenient alternative to intravenous administration could improve patient and clinician convenience while helping defend KEYTRUDA’s international franchise. KEYTRUDA QLEX approved in Japan
• Positive Sentiment: The European Medicines Agency’s CHMP backed the KEYTRUDA-plus-PADCEV combination as a perioperative treatment for eligible patients with resectable muscle-invasive bladder cancer. If formally approved, the decision would expand the combination’s addressable market and reinforce Merck’s oncology pipeline. CHMP backs Keytruda-Padcev combination
• Neutral Sentiment: The average sell-side recommendation remains equivalent to a Buy, but analyst optimism is not necessarily a reliable indicator of future performance. Investors should weigh the ratings against Merck’s earnings outlook, competitive risks and valuation. Analyst view on Merck
• Negative Sentiment: A separate analysis called Merck overvalued and overbought, highlighting potential profit-taking after the stock’s strong run. With shares near their 52-week high and a reported trailing P/E above 120, valuation remains a risk even as new product approvals improve the growth narrative. Merck valuation downgrade

Merck & Co., Inc. Profile

Merck & Co, Inc is a global healthcare company that develops, manufactures, and markets prescription medicines, vaccines, and animal-health products. The company serves patients, healthcare providers, and customers in markets worldwide through its Human Health and Animal Health businesses.

Merck’s pharmaceutical portfolio includes oncology, infectious disease, cardiology, immunology, and other therapeutic areas. Its products include Keytruda, an immunotherapy used to treat various cancers; Gardasil, a vaccine that helps protect against human papillomavirus (HPV); and Januvia, a treatment for type 2 diabetes.