Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Holdings Trimmed by Milestone Asset Management LLC

Milestone Asset Management LLC reduced its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 54.5% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 7,709 shares of the company’s stock after selling 9,248 shares during the quarter. Milestone Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $1,120,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in MRK. Legacy Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the third quarter valued at approximately $218,000. Neumann Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $1,239,000. NFSG Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 31.4% in the 3rd quarter. NFSG Corp now owns 17,154 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,493,000 after acquiring an additional 4,100 shares in the last quarter. Centerline Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $206,000. Finally, SLT Holdings LLC grew its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 75.7% during the 3rd quarter. SLT Holdings LLC now owns 5,247 shares of the company’s stock worth $762,000 after acquiring an additional 2,260 shares during the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MRK has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $142.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, October 5th. Leerink Partners lifted their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $127.00 to $161.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 9th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald increased their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $120.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, October 8th. Seventeen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $151.92.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 11,699 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 12th. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at $14,501,282.21. The trade was a 9.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP David Williams sold 52,847 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $128.77, for a total value of $6,805,108.19. Following the transaction, 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. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders sold 228,238 shares of company stock worth $29,977,783. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

MRK opened at $145.66 on Friday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a one year low of $82.01 and a one year high of $156.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.32 and a quick ratio of 1.10. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $145.26 and its 200-day simple moving average is $129.12. The stock has a market capitalization of $359.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 116.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.81 and a beta of 0.21.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 business had revenue of $16.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.37 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.13 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc.’s revenue for the quarter 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. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.66 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

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

Key Headlines Impacting Merck & Co., Inc.

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?

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.