Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar Sells Off Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK)

Representative Maria Elvira Salazar (Republican-Florida) recently sold shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK). In a filing disclosed on October 7th, the Representative disclosed that they had sold between $1,001 and $15,000 in Merck & Co., Inc. stock on September 24th. The trade occurred in the Representative’s “UBS IRA ACCOUNT” account.

Representative Maria Elvira Salazar also recently made the following trade(s):

• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Citigroup (NYSE:C) on 9/24/2026.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Chubb (NYSE:CB) on 9/24/2026.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) on 9/24/2026.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of GE Aerospace (NYSE:GE) on 9/24/2026.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Honeywell International (NASDAQ:HON) on 9/24/2026.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Snowflake (NYSE:SNOW) on 9/24/2026.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of FedEx (NYSE:FDX) on 9/24/2026.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Salesforce (NYSE:CRM) on 9/24/2026.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of RH (NYSE:RH) on 9/24/2026.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) on 9/24/2026.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Up 2.2%

Shares of MRK stock opened at $145.52 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $359.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 116.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.41 and a beta of 0.21. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1 year low of $82.01 and a 1 year high of $156.92. The company has a current ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $143.90 and a 200 day simple moving average of $128.28.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last announced 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 firm had revenue of $16.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations 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 quarterly revenue 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, research analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.67 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Horizons Wealth Management bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 3rd quarter worth $30,000. Bullseye Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the second quarter valued at $27,000. Abound Financial LLC bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Graney & King LLC raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 400.0% in the 2nd quarter. Graney & King LLC now owns 250 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Montgomery Financial Services LLC purchased a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 2nd quarter worth about $41,000. Institutional investors own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck is participating in a broad rally across biotechnology and vaccine stocks, providing sector-wide momentum for MRK shares. Novavax Soars, Moderna Surges, Merck Climbs as Biotech Rallies
• Positive Sentiment: The FDA approved Merck’s WELIREG plus LENVIMA combination for adults with advanced kidney cancer previously treated with PD-1 or PD-L1 therapies. The approval expands Merck’s oncology opportunity beyond its core Keytruda franchise. Merck also started a Phase I trial involving Cyprumed’s oral peptide-delivery platform, adding a potential pipeline catalyst. Merck Wins FDA Approval for WELIREG Plus LENVIMA in Kidney Cancer
• Positive Sentiment: Cantor Fitzgerald raised its Merck price target to $145 from $120, while Morgan Stanley maintained or issued a Buy view in separate coverage. These actions suggest some analysts see the recent weakness and long-term growth prospects as attractive. Cantor Fitzgerald Lifts Price Targets on Four Pharma Giants
• Neutral Sentiment: Apella Capital increased its Merck position by 16.6% to 43,902 shares. The purchase indicates institutional confidence, although the position is too small to materially affect Merck’s fundamentals. Apella Capital Increases Stake in Merck
• Negative Sentiment: A Dutch court blocked Merck’s planned subcutaneous Keytruda product in eight European markets amid a patent dispute with Halozyme. The ruling could delay a potentially important reformulation and complicate efforts to extend Keytruda’s commercial life. HALO Wins Court Order Blocking Merck’s Keytruda SC in Europe
• Negative Sentiment: Merck is viewed as one of the pharmaceutical companies most exposed to upcoming patent losses and generic competition, raising longer-term concerns about revenue after Keytruda’s exclusivity period. Analysts have also flagged mixed growth prospects, while Morgan Stanley issued a separate pessimistic forecast. Pharma’s $500 Billion Patent Problem Will Come in Waves

Insider Activity

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Guggenheim increased their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $146.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 8th. UBS Group raised their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $175.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, August 20th. Cantor Fitzgerald upped their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $120.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, October 5th. Finally, Berenberg Bank increased their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $127.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, September 11th. Seventeen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Merck & Co., Inc. has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $151.32.

About Representative Salazar

Maria Elvira Salazar (Republican Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing Florida’s 27th Congressional District. She assumed office on January 3, 2021. Her current term ends on January 3, 2027.

Salazar (Republican Party) ran for re-election to the U.S. House to represent Florida’s 27th Congressional District. She won in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Maria Elvira Salazar was born in Miami, Florida, and lives in Coral Gables, Florida. Salazar earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Miami in 1983 and a graduate degree from Harvard University in 1995. Her career experience includes working as a television journalist, reporter, and news anchor.

About Merck & Co., Inc.

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.