Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Purchased by Central Pacific Bank Trust Division

Central Pacific Bank Trust Division boosted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 100.6% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 16,924 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 8,487 shares during the quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $2,175,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of MRK. Somerset Trust Co grew its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.9% during the 2nd quarter. Somerset Trust Co now owns 8,701 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,118,000 after purchasing an additional 81 shares during the period. Stonebridge Financial Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.9% in the 2nd quarter. Stonebridge Financial Group LLC now owns 8,747 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,124,000 after purchasing an additional 81 shares in the last quarter. Chesapeake Wealth Management lifted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. Chesapeake Wealth Management now owns 14,740 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,552,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares during the period. South Plains Financial Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. South Plains Financial Inc. now owns 15,535 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,635,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares during the period. Finally, Syverson Strege & Co lifted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.2% in the fourth quarter. Syverson Strege & Co now owns 4,142 shares of the company’s stock valued at $436,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Up 0.4%

NYSE:MRK opened at $128.28 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $316.83 billion, a PE ratio of 36.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.07 and a beta of 0.19. The company has a quick ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52-week low of $77.58 and a 52-week high of $135.05. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $123.45 and a 200-day simple moving average of $118.78.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.26) by $0.13. The business had revenue of $16.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.37 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 13.59% and a return on equity of 27.55%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.13 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.74 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be issued a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio is 95.77%.

More Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck reported second-quarter revenue of $16.61 billion, above the $16.37 billion consensus estimate and up 5.1% year over year. Adjusted loss per share of $0.13 was also better than the expected $0.26 loss. Merck posts better-than-expected second-quarter results on Keytruda strength
• Positive Sentiment: Keytruda remained the primary growth engine, while the newer injectable version of the cancer treatment exceeded Wall Street expectations by more than $200 million. Strength in oncology and other newer products helped support the improved sales outlook. The Merck Product That Absolutely Demolished Wall Street’s Forecasts
• Positive Sentiment: Merck raised and narrowed its full-year 2026 revenue forecast to $66.3 billion-$67.3 billion, broadly consistent with the $66.7 billion analyst consensus. Management also highlighted regulatory, clinical and pipeline milestones that could support longer-term growth. MRK Q2 Earnings and Sales Beat Estimates, 2026 Sales View Raised
• Negative Sentiment: Merck cut its 2026 EPS guidance to $2.66-$2.76, well below the $3.42 consensus estimate, because of charges associated with the acquisition of Terns Pharmaceuticals. The resulting earnings pressure offsets part of the benefit from the stronger sales outlook. Merck hikes revenue outlook but cuts profit guidance due to deal charges

Analyst Ratings Changes

MRK has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Scotiabank upped their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $136.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a “sector outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $142.00 price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. CICC Research began coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $138.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Bank of America upped their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $134.50.

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.