SVB Wealth LLC Acquires 8,023 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

SVB Wealth LLC grew its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 14.6% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 63,109 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 8,023 shares during the period. SVB Wealth LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $5,297,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. BridgePort Financial Solutions LLC boosted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 25.3% during the third quarter. BridgePort Financial Solutions LLC now owns 9,437 shares of the company’s stock valued at $792,000 after buying an additional 1,906 shares during the last quarter. Midwest Trust Co boosted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.4% during the 3rd quarter. Midwest Trust Co now owns 759,124 shares of the company’s stock worth $63,713,000 after acquiring an additional 24,910 shares during the last quarter. Rockland Trust Co. grew its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 5.5% in the 3rd quarter. Rockland Trust Co. now owns 580,339 shares of the company’s stock worth $48,708,000 after acquiring an additional 30,061 shares in the last quarter. First National Trust Co raised its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.6% in the third quarter. First National Trust Co now owns 201,442 shares of the company’s stock valued at $16,907,000 after purchasing an additional 5,096 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wealthfront Advisers LLC lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 18.7% during the third quarter. Wealthfront Advisers LLC now owns 210,569 shares of the company’s stock valued at $17,673,000 after purchasing an additional 33,127 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Bull research argues the recent run doesn’t make MRK overvalued and highlights durable upside from Keytruda, QLEX migration and pipeline execution. Merck: The Spike Doesn’t Make It Overvalued
• Positive Sentiment: Another bullish note rates MRK a Buy for 2026, citing extended Keytruda exclusivity to late‑2029 and “hidden alpha” from QLEX migration and BD/pipeline execution. Merck: A Buy For 2026, But The Clock Is Still Ticking
• Positive Sentiment: Some financial media also flagged an analyst upgrade that briefly lifted the share price and coverage noting Merck’s positioning for long‑term revenue growth. Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Price Up 1.8% After Analyst Upgrade
• Neutral Sentiment: Longer‑term dividend/quality screens and bull‑case articles continue to present MRK as a multi‑year recovery story, which supports longer‑horizon holders but may not offset short‑term selling. 3 Top Dow Jones Dividend Stocks to Buy for Passive Income in 2026
• Negative Sentiment: EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 121,573 shares (~$14.5M) at ≈$119.15, cutting her ownership by ~64% — a large, conspicuous insider sale that often triggers investor concern. Form 4 — Jennifer Zachary
• Negative Sentiment: CMO Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares (~$1.18M) at ≈$118.41, reducing their stake ~12.4%. Form 4 — Chirfi Guindo
• Negative Sentiment: Additional recent insider sales reported (CFO and other executives sold multi‑million dollar amounts), amplifying the negative signal from leadership selling. CFO Sells $5,023,261.17 EVP Sells $4,556,870.20
• Negative Sentiment: Wall Street Zen and at least one Seeking Alpha piece issued more cautious or downgraded takes, adding pressure for traders who focus on near‑term catalysts. From Bargain To Balancing Act: Merck’s Next Test Begins Stock Rating Lowered by Wall Street Zen

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have commented on MRK shares. Cantor Fitzgerald increased their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $116.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $92.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Guggenheim lifted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $122.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday. Citigroup upped their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $115.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Scotiabank lifted their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “sector outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 4th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $120.93.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

NYSE MRK opened at $117.67 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.44, a current ratio of 1.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. The company has a market cap of $292.06 billion, a PE ratio of 16.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 0.28. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52 week low of $73.31 and a 52 week high of $122.66. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $106.89 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $93.53.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.01 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $16.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.19 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 28.08% and a return on equity of 45.22%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.72 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.000-5.150 EPS. Research analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 7th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 16th will be given a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 16th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.9%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s payout ratio is 46.70%.

Insider Activity at Merck & Co., Inc.

In related news, CMO Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $118.41, for a total transaction of $1,184,100.00. Following the sale, the chief marketing officer owned 70,615 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,361,522.15. This represents a 12.40% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Johannes Jacobus Oosthuizen sold 15,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.87, for a total value of $1,828,050.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 21,197 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,583,278.39. This represents a 41.44% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 320,176 shares of company stock worth $38,281,735 in the last 90 days. 0.09% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.