Voya Investment Management LLC Has $57.55 Million Position in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Voya Investment Management LLC decreased its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 14.3% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 685,693 shares of the company’s stock after selling 114,584 shares during the quarter. Voya Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $57,550,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. DLD Asset Management LP purchased a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the second quarter valued at approximately $2,889,340,000. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 2nd quarter worth about $2,858,570,000. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 23.5% in the 2nd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 27,032,601 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,139,901,000 after purchasing an additional 5,135,748 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership raised its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 35.5% during the 2nd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 19,456,096 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,540,145,000 after purchasing an additional 5,094,088 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 9.4% during the 2nd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 53,865,466 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,263,991,000 after buying an additional 4,636,183 shares during the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stores Impacting Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: FDA granted national priority vouchers for Merck’s cholesterol pill and a cancer therapy — could accelerate regulatory review and commercial timelines, improving near‑term visibility for new revenue streams. US FDA grants priority vouchers to Merck’s cholesterol pill, cancer therapy
• Positive Sentiment: Major analyst bullishness: BMO upgraded MRK to Outperform and raised its $130 target (big upside), and several bullish research notes (Seeking Alpha, Zacks) reiterated the company’s deep pipeline and cash‑flow strength — supports higher valuation expectations. BMO upgrade / analyst notes Merck’s Deep Pipeline And Cash Flow Strength Support The Bull Case
• Positive Sentiment: High‑profile endorsement: Jim Cramer said Merck’s CEO “has a better hand,” a sentiment that can boost retail/institutional confidence in management’s ability to navigate the Keytruda patent cliff. Merck (MRK)’s CEO Has a “Better Hand,” Says Jim Cramer
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck declined to exercise an option for Evaxion’s gonorrhea vaccine candidate — removes a small potential upside but is not a material hit to Merck’s core franchises. Evaxion Seeks New Partner For Gonorrhea Vaccine After Merck Opts Out
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst commentary and routine market coverage continue (InsiderMonkey, Zacks summaries) — reflects differing views on runway beyond Keytruda. Merck Sees Mixed Analyst Views
• Negative Sentiment: Merck is among nine drugmakers that agreed to sell certain medicines at lower prices for U.S. government programs and patients in exchange for avoiding potential tariffs — immediate political/risk relief but represents incremental pricing pressure and potential revenue headwinds if broad or long‑lasting. Nine pharmaceutical companies reach deals with White House to lower prices Nine of the largest pharma companies ink deals with Trump Merck Reaches Agreement With U.S. Government
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst and industry notes flag material headwinds — Keytruda loss of exclusivity, softer Gardasil sales and pricing pressure remain real risks that could weigh on long‑term growth unless offset by new product launches/cost savings. Can Merck Successfully Steer Through The Upcoming Headwinds?

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently commented on MRK shares. Citigroup began coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Monday, October 13th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $95.00 price objective on the stock. Bank of America increased their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, December 15th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $102.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, December 12th. BMO Capital Markets upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $82.00 to $130.00 in a report on Thursday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and raised their target price for the company from $90.00 to $125.00 in a report on Monday, November 24th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Merck & Co., Inc. presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $110.13.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

Shares of MRK opened at $100.92 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $250.49 billion, a PE ratio of 13.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 0.29. Merck & Co., Inc. has a one year low of $73.31 and a one year high of $105.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 1.66 and a quick ratio of 1.44. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $93.36 and its 200 day moving average price is $86.12.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $2.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.36 by $0.22. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 29.63% and a return on equity of 44.54%. The company had revenue of $17.28 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $17 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.57 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 3.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2025 guidance at 8.930-8.980 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 8th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 15th will be given a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 15th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.4%. This is an increase from Merck & Co., Inc.’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.81. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 44.91%.

Insider Activity at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other news, EVP David Michael Williams sold 8,614 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $83.59, for a total value of $720,044.26. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 24,578 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,054,475.02. This represents a 25.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

About Merck & Co., Inc.

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.