Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Sold by Washington Trust Bank

Washington Trust Bank reduced its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 13.4% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 114,877 shares of the company’s stock after selling 17,715 shares during the period. Merck & Co., Inc. accounts for about 1.0% of Washington Trust Bank’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 23rd largest position. Washington Trust Bank’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $14,762,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Cascade Financial Partners LLC raised its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.5% in the 2nd quarter. Cascade Financial Partners LLC now owns 14,746 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,895,000 after acquiring an additional 80 shares during the last quarter. Somerset Trust Co boosted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.9% during the second 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 last quarter. Stonebridge Financial Group LLC grew its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.9% in the second 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 during the period. Stronghold Wealth Management L.L.C. grew its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.6% in the second quarter. Stronghold Wealth Management L.L.C. now owns 3,237 shares of the company’s stock valued at $416,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares during the period. Finally, Lederer & Associates Investment Counsel CA increased its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.9% in the second quarter. Lederer & Associates Investment Counsel CA now owns 9,603 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,234,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares during the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have issued reports on MRK shares. Scotiabank raised their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $136.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a “sector outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. Morgan Stanley raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their price objective for the company from $116.00 to $179.00 in a research note on Thursday, August 20th. Citigroup assumed coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $125.00 price objective on the stock. CICC Research began coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $138.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $120.00 target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Monday, July 6th. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $147.60.

Insider Activity at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other news, EVP David R. Maraldo sold 18,706 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $128.72, for a total value of $2,407,836.32. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 18,212 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,344,248.64. This trade represents a 50.67% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 80,315 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 45,509 shares in the company, valued at $6,073,631.14. The trade was a 63.83% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 228,238 shares of company stock valued at $29,977,783 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $148.30 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $131.78 and its 200-day moving average is $122.41. The company has a market cap of $365.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 118.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.22 and a beta of 0.19. 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 12 month low of $77.58 and a 12 month high of $156.92.

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 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%.The company’s revenue was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.13 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.76 earnings per share for the current 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 given 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 payout ratio is 272.00%.

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.