Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Holdings Increased by First Citizens Bank & Trust Co.

First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. boosted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 16.1% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 74,394 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 10,339 shares during the quarter. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co.’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $10,810,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Abound Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Bullseye Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the second quarter worth $27,000. Horizons Wealth Management purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the third quarter worth $30,000. Graney & King LLC boosted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 400.0% during the second quarter. Graney & King LLC now owns 250 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the period. Finally, Montgomery Financial Services LLC bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the second quarter valued at $41,000. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently commented on MRK. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, October 5th. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $145.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 21st. HSBC lifted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $172.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, September 10th. Finally, Citigroup boosted their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday. Seventeen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $151.92.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP David Williams sold 52,847 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $128.77, for a total transaction of $6,805,108.19. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 31,716 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,084,069.32. This trade represents a 62.49% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Chirfi Guindo sold 15,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $131.00, for a total value of $1,965,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 46,613 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,106,303. This represents a 24.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders sold 228,238 shares of company stock worth $29,977,783. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Leerink Partners initiated a Buy rating on Merck, providing a new bullish endorsement for the company’s valuation and long-term growth prospects. Merck Gets a Buy from Leerink Partners
• Positive Sentiment: Merck will present first-time results from three pivotal Phase 3 oncology trials at ESMO 2026, alongside more than 90 additional abstracts. The event could provide important evidence on the company’s pipeline and help offset concerns about future dependence on established products. Merck ESMO 2026 Oncology Results
• Positive Sentiment: Citigroup raised its price target to $145 while maintaining a Neutral rating, indicating modest potential upside from recent levels. Citigroup Merck Price Target
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck appointed Paul J. Diaz to its board of directors. The leadership addition broadens the board’s experience but is unlikely to materially change near-term earnings expectations. Paul J. Diaz Elected to Merck Board
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck’s third-quarter earnings report is expected in the next few weeks, with analysts projecting single-digit EPS growth. The upcoming report is a near-term catalyst for the stock.
• Negative Sentiment: Jefferies cut its peak-sales forecast for experimental eye treatment remigromig by 60% after trial data showed smaller numerical vision improvements than an established rival, despite meeting the statistical non-inferiority threshold. The revision reduces expectations for a potential pipeline contributor. Jefferies Cuts Remigromig Sales Forecast
• Negative Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada lowered its price target to $145 from $150 and retained a Sector Perform rating. Erste Group Bank also modestly reduced its FY2026 and FY2027 EPS estimates, reinforcing caution around Merck’s earnings outlook. RBC Lowers Merck Price Target

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 2.4%

Shares of NYSE:MRK opened at $141.97 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $350.27 billion, a PE ratio of 113.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.72 and a beta of 0.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.32. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52-week low of $82.01 and a 52-week high of $156.92. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $144.52 and a 200 day moving average of $128.73.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.26) by $0.13. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 16.73% and a net margin of 4.77%. The business had revenue of $16.61 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.37 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.13 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter 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. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.66 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th were issued a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, September 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio is presently 272.00%.

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.