Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar Sells 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. Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE MRK opened at $142.45 on Friday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12 month low of $82.01 and a 12 month high of $156.92. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $143.59 and a 200-day simple moving average of $128.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.32 and a quick ratio of 1.10. The company has a market cap of $351.45 billion, a PE ratio of 113.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.42 and a beta of 0.21.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.26) by $0.13. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 4.77% and a return on equity of 16.73%. The business had revenue of $16.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $16.37 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.13 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.67 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th were paid a dividend of $0.85 per share. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 272.00%.

Insider Activity at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 11,699 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $131.63, for a total value of $1,539,939.37. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 110,167 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,501,282.21. The trade was a 9.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 80,315 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.46, for a total value of $10,718,839.90. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 45,509 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,073,631.14. The trade was a 63.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 228,238 shares of company stock valued at $29,977,783. Corporate insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of MRK. Horizons Wealth Management bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Bullseye Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 2nd quarter valued at $27,000. Abound Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Graney & King LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 400.0% during the 2nd quarter. Graney & King LLC now owns 250 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the period. Finally, Montgomery Financial Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 2nd quarter valued at about $41,000. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

• Positive Sentiment: The FDA approved WELIREG plus LENVIMA for adults with advanced renal cell carcinoma previously treated with a PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor. The decision expands Merck’s oncology portfolio and could create another commercial opportunity beyond Keytruda. Merck also started a first-in-human trial using Cyprumed’s oral peptide-delivery platform, although that program remains at a very early stage. Merck Wins FDA Approval for WELIREG Plus LENVIMA in Kidney Cancer
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley maintained an “overweight” rating while trimming its price target modestly to $177, implying substantial upside based on the referenced price. The call indicates continued confidence in Merck’s long-term earnings and pipeline prospects. Morgan Stanley Raises Merck Analyst View
• Positive Sentiment: Merck’s shareholder dividend was highlighted as part of its income appeal, which may support investor interest while the company navigates product-cycle and patent risks. Merck Dividend Payment
• Neutral Sentiment: Cantor Fitzgerald raised its price target to $145 but retained a “neutral” rating, suggesting limited near-term upside and a cautious view of Merck’s growth outlook. Cantor Fitzgerald Merck Price Target
• Neutral Sentiment: Articles comparing Innoviva and Merck frame MRK as a large-cap pharmaceutical value candidate, but provide no new company-specific catalyst likely to materially change the stock’s valuation today. INVA vs. MRK: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?
• Negative Sentiment: A Dutch court granted Halozyme an injunction blocking Merck’s subcutaneous Keytruda in eight European markets. The ruling could delay or restrict commercialization of a potentially more convenient Keytruda formulation and heightens litigation risk. Halozyme Wins Court Order Blocking Merck’s Keytruda SC in Europe
• Negative Sentiment: Industry analysis identifies Merck as particularly exposed to near-term generic competition as major products approach patent losses. That raises concerns about revenue durability and increases the importance of successful launches such as WELIREG. Pharma’s $500 Billion Patent Problem

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on MRK shares. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 25th. UBS Group raised their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, August 20th. Cantor Fitzgerald boosted their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $120.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, September 4th. Finally, CICC Research initiated coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $138.00 price objective for the company. Seventeen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus 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.

Merck & Co., Inc. Company Profile

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.