Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Sold by PNC Financial Services Group Inc.

PNC Financial Services Group Inc. lowered its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 1.2% in the first quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 7,530,441 shares of the company’s stock after selling 91,391 shares during the quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc.’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $905,837,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Chesapeake Wealth Management boosted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. Chesapeake Wealth Management now owns 14,740 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,552,000 after buying an additional 87 shares in the last quarter. South Plains Financial Inc. boosted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. South Plains Financial Inc. now owns 15,535 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,635,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. Syverson Strege & Co boosted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.2% during the 4th quarter. Syverson Strege & Co now owns 4,142 shares of the company’s stock worth $436,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares in the last quarter. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV grew its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.4% during the 1st quarter. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV now owns 23,433 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,819,000 after purchasing an additional 91 shares during the period. Finally, Westside Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.1% in the 4th quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,142 shares of the company’s stock valued at $331,000 after purchasing an additional 93 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently commented on the stock. UBS Group boosted their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, April 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Scotiabank boosted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $136.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a “sector outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $135.00 to $142.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $142.00 price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Merck & Co., Inc. currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $133.94.

Trending Headlines about Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Merck and Gilead announced that Phase 3 data from the investigational once-weekly oral HIV regimen combining islatravir and lenacapavir will be presented at AIDS 2026, with the primary endpoint showing maintained viral suppression in adults who switched therapies. The update highlights progress in a potentially important HIV program and could support long-term growth expectations. Article: Investigational Once-Weekly Oral HIV Treatment Regimen of Islatravir and Lenacapavir Maintained Virological Suppression in Adults With HIV Who Switched Antiretroviral Therapy
• Positive Sentiment: Phanes Therapeutics expanded its clinical trial collaboration with Merck to evaluate spevatamig with KEYTRUDA and chemotherapy in first-line biliary tract cancer. More combination-trial activity around KEYTRUDA reinforces Merck’s oncology franchise and keeps the company involved in additional mid- to long-term growth opportunities. Article: Phanes Therapeutics Announces Expansion of Clinical Trial Collaboration and Supply Agreement with Merck to Evaluate Spevatamig in Combination with KEYTRUDA® (Pembrolizumab) and Chemotherapy for Treatment of Biliary Tract Cancer
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst-focused coverage repeated the view that Wall Street’s bullish average rating suggests Merck is worth considering, but the article also questioned how reliable consensus broker recommendations are as a signal. This is more of a sentiment check than a new fundamental catalyst. Article: Is It Worth Investing in Merck (MRK) Based on Wall Street’s Bullish Views?
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent media commentary also noted that Merck had declined more than the broader market in the prior session and that one rating was lowered to Hold, but these items do not appear to reflect a major company-specific setback. Instead, they suggest some near-term caution after the recent move. Article: Merck (MRK) Declines More Than Market: Some Information for Investors
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage from Barron’s focused on what comes after Keytruda, underscoring investor concern about Merck’s long-term dependence on its flagship cancer drug and the need for a future standard-of-care franchise. That narrative can weigh on valuation if investors worry about the post-Keytruda pipeline. Article: What Comes After Merck’s Keytruda? The Race for the Next Standard Cancer Treatment.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Up 1.5%

Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $126.27 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $120.65 and a 200 day moving average price of $117.29. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52 week low of $76.66 and a 52 week high of $131.74. The stock has a market cap of $311.86 billion, a PE ratio of 35.57, a P/E/G ratio of 4.95 and a beta of 0.19. The company has a current ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($1.47) by $0.19. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 13.59% and a return on equity of 27.55%. The company had revenue of $16.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.85 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.22 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.74 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th were given a dividend of $0.85 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.7%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 95.77%.

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.