Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Sold by Synergy Asset Management LLC

Synergy Asset Management LLC reduced its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 95.0% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 4,312 shares of the company’s stock after selling 81,494 shares during the period. Synergy Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $454,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Abound Wealth Management grew its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 6.8% in the 4th quarter. Abound Wealth Management now owns 1,554 shares of the company’s stock worth $164,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares during the last quarter. Pine Haven Investment Counsel Inc grew its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.7% in the fourth quarter. Pine Haven Investment Counsel Inc now owns 14,137 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,488,000 after buying an additional 105 shares during the last quarter. Lake Street Private Wealth LLC lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.1% during the 4th quarter. Lake Street Private Wealth LLC now owns 5,203 shares of the company’s stock valued at $548,000 after acquiring an additional 109 shares during the last quarter. One Charles Private Wealth Services LLC lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.3% during the 3rd quarter. One Charles Private Wealth Services LLC now owns 3,464 shares of the company’s stock valued at $291,000 after acquiring an additional 111 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fragasso Financial Advisors Inc boosted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Fragasso Financial Advisors Inc now owns 11,502 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,211,000 after acquiring an additional 115 shares in the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Johannes Jacobus Oosthuizen sold 15,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.87, for a total transaction of $1,828,050.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 21,197 shares in the company, valued at $2,583,278.39. This trade represents a 41.44% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 121,573 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.15, for a total transaction of $14,485,422.95. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 68,916 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,211,341.40. This represents a 63.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 320,176 shares of company stock worth $38,281,735 in the last three months. Company insiders own 0.13% 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 agreed to acquire Terns Pharmaceuticals for about $6.7 billion to add TERN‑701, an investigational CML drug that could meaningfully strengthen Merck’s hematology/oncology lineup ahead of Keytruda’s patent cliff. Merck to Boost Oncology Pipeline With $6.7B Terns Buyout, Stock Up
• Positive Sentiment: Citi raised its price target on MRK to $125 (from $120), reflecting continued analyst recognition of Merck’s profitability and strategic M&A. Citi Raises its Price Target on Merck & Co. (MRK) to $125 from $120
• Positive Sentiment: Agilent received FDA approval for the PD‑L1 IHC 22C3 pharmDx as a companion diagnostic for Keytruda in esophageal/GEJ carcinoma—supportive for continued clinical use of Keytruda where indicated. This can help sustain Keytruda demand in approved indications near-term. Agilent Receives FDA Approval for PD-L1 IHC 22C3 pharmDx
• Neutral Sentiment: Heightened investor interest and searches on Merck point to increased attention and volume as the market digests the deal and guidance; this can amplify intraday moves but is not directional on fundamentals. Investors Heavily Search Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK)
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck held an M&A investor call and provided materials/transcript — useful for detail but mainly confirms terms and rationale rather than changing the deal. Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) M&A Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts and media note potential rival interest in Terns; William Blair and others suggest the $53/shr offer may undervalue Terns’ upside, implying Merck could face a bidding contest or need to increase the price. That raises transaction risk and potential dilution/cost. Merck’s $6.7 billion Terns acquisition may face rival interest: Analyst
• Negative Sentiment: An investor‑rights law firm is investigating whether Terns shareholders are getting fair value, which can delay closing or lead to litigation/negotiation that complicates the deal timeline and integration. Terns Pharmaceuticals Investor Alert

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Down 0.4%

MRK stock opened at $118.90 on Friday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1-year low of $73.31 and a 1-year high of $125.14. The company has a current ratio of 1.54, a quick ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89. The business’s 50 day moving average is $116.43 and its 200-day moving average is $101.56. The firm has a market cap of $293.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.33, a P/E/G ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.27.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.04 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.01 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $16.40 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.19 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 44.57% and a net margin of 28.08%.Merck & Co., Inc.’s revenue was up 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.72 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.000-5.150 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 7th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 16th will be issued a dividend of $0.85 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 16th. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.9%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 46.70%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. Bank of America upped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, December 15th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, March 20th. Wolfe Research raised Merck & Co., Inc. from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $135.00 target price for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $135.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. Finally, Barclays assumed coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Friday, February 20th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 target price on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $127.13.

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.