Summit Global Investments Reduces Stake in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Summit Global Investments lowered its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 23.0% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 52,039 shares of the company’s stock after selling 15,559 shares during the quarter. Summit Global Investments’ holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $6,687,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 29.5% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 38,278 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,808,000 after acquiring an additional 8,710 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC lifted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 52.2% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 11,494 shares of the company’s stock worth $910,000 after purchasing an additional 3,941 shares in the last quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC boosted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 94.1% in the 2nd quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC now owns 32,256 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,590,000 after purchasing an additional 15,636 shares during the period. Diversify Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 22.2% in the 2nd quarter. Diversify Wealth Management LLC now owns 38,031 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,054,000 after purchasing an additional 6,897 shares during the period. Finally, MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 111.7% during the 2nd quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 681,128 shares of the company’s stock valued at $53,918,000 after purchasing an additional 359,356 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 11,699 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $131.63, for a total transaction of $1,539,939.37. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 110,167 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $14,501,282.21. This represents a 9.60% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.00, for a total transaction of $1,350,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 36,613 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,942,755. This trade represents a 21.45% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 228,238 shares of company stock worth $29,977,783 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently weighed in on MRK. Barclays upped their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $142.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday. Wall Street Zen cut Merck & Co., Inc. from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, July 20th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group cut Merck & Co., Inc. from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $142.10.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Down 1.9%

NYSE MRK opened at $149.25 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $368.23 billion, a PE ratio of 119.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.56 and a beta of 0.19. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1-year low of $77.58 and a 1-year high of $153.50. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $127.43 and a 200-day moving average of $121.01. The company has a current ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) earnings per share (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 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% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.13 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.77 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be paid a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s payout ratio is presently 272.00%.

Key Stories Impacting Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck and Moderna reported that their individualized mRNA vaccine, used with Merck’s Keytruda, met the Phase 3 primary endpoint in high-risk melanoma. The combination improved recurrence-free survival and distant-metastasis-free survival compared with Keytruda alone, marking the first positive late-stage result for an mRNA cancer vaccine. The result could expand Merck’s oncology pipeline and help address the eventual loss of Keytruda exclusivity. Merck, Moderna say melanoma skin cancer vaccine meets goals in large trial
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley upgraded MRK to overweight and raised its price target to $179 from $116, while UBS lifted its target to $175 and BMO raised its target to $170, reflecting increased confidence in the cancer-vaccine opportunity and Merck’s broader growth prospects. Merck upgraded at Morgan Stanley after cancer trial win; RBC downgrades
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts cautioned that the initial results are not a complete regulatory or commercial victory. Full data, regulatory approval expected no earlier than 2027, manufacturing execution and the therapy’s eventual pricing and market adoption remain key uncertainties. Moderna’s Cancer Vaccine: Are Investors Putting The Cart Before The Horse?
• Negative Sentiment: RBC downgraded MRK to sector perform and set a $150 target, arguing that the roughly $150 valuation is unusually demanding for a company facing a major Keytruda loss of exclusivity in about two years. Jefferies also moved the stock to hold, creating a valuation overhang despite the trial success. Merck’s Cancer-Vaccine Trial Results Surpassed Expectations – So, Why Did RBC Downgrade MRK Stock?
• Negative Sentiment: Broader healthcare weakness and profit-taking after Merck’s sharp rally are adding pressure, while the stock’s elevated valuation leaves less room for disappointment. Sector Update: Healthcare Stocks Fall Thursday Afternoon

Merck & Co., Inc. 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.