Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Bought by Moody Lynn Lieberson & Walker LLC

Moody Lynn Lieberson & Walker LLC raised its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 121.8% during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 110,547 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 60,711 shares during the period. Moody Lynn Lieberson & Walker LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $14,205,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Selective Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the second quarter worth about $227,000. Aspiriant LLC raised its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 13.8% in the second quarter. Aspiriant LLC now owns 17,559 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,256,000 after acquiring an additional 2,125 shares in the last quarter. Shakespeare Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 65.4% in the second quarter. Shakespeare Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,236 shares of the company’s stock valued at $416,000 after acquiring an additional 1,280 shares in the last quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC lifted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 45.9% in the second quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 2,950 shares of the company’s stock worth $379,000 after acquiring an additional 928 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Isthmus Partners LLC lifted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 10.4% in the second quarter. Isthmus Partners LLC now owns 14,237 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,829,000 after acquiring an additional 1,340 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment improved: Daiwa Securities upgraded Merck to “outperform” and set a $143 price target, while Argus raised its target to $145 and maintained a “buy” rating. These targets imply additional upside from recent trading levels. Daiwa Securities upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: RSV expansion opportunity: The FDA and European Medicines Agency accepted supplemental applications for broader use of ENFLONSIA to prevent RSV in vulnerable young children. The regulatory reviews could expand Merck’s growth beyond oncology and help diversify the portfolio ahead of Keytruda’s future patent expirations. Merck RSV regulatory review article
• Positive Sentiment: Estimates edged higher: Erste Group raised its FY2026 earnings forecast for Merck to $2.75 per share from $2.70, broadly aligning with the $2.76 consensus estimate. The company also recently exceeded quarterly revenue and adjusted earnings expectations, reporting $16.61 billion in revenue.
• Positive Sentiment: Core business remains solid: Keytruda, oncology and animal health supported quarterly growth, while the company continues investing in its pipeline. Merck also declared its regular $0.85 quarterly dividend, equivalent to a $3.40 annualized payout.
• Neutral Sentiment: Vaccine-policy uncertainty: Reports that the administration may seek to split the MMR vaccine into separate shots could create headlines around the broader vaccine market, but experts say the proposal lacks scientific support and is unlikely to advance. MMR vaccine policy article
• Negative Sentiment: Repeated insider selling: EVP Richard R. Deluca sold roughly 45,000 shares across transactions from August 6 through August 12 for approximately $6.7 million. Although he retained a substantial position, the sales may weigh modestly on sentiment.
• Negative Sentiment: Longer-term risks persist: Analysts continue to flag falling estimates, a high valuation and upcoming patent expirations, particularly the eventual loss of Keytruda exclusivity. These issues could limit upside unless Merck’s pipeline and newer products offset the expected revenue pressure.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Citigroup started coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $125.00 price objective on the stock. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $120.00 price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $112.00 to $113.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Weiss Ratings lowered Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Bank of America raised their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $141.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Merck & Co., Inc. has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $135.50.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

Shares of MRK opened at $133.10 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $328.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 106.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.62 and a beta of 0.19. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52-week low of $77.58 and a 52-week high of $135.05. The company has a quick ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $124.94 and a 200 day moving average price of $119.64.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.26) by $0.13. The company had revenue of $16.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $16.37 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 4.77% and a return on equity of 16.05%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.13 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. Research analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.77 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.85 per share. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date is 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 David Michael 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 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 ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP David R. Maraldo sold 18,706 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $128.72, for a total value of $2,407,836.32. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 18,212 shares in the company, valued at $2,344,248.64. This trade represents a 50.67% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 137,923 shares of company stock valued at $17,908,943 over the last quarter. 0.17% of the stock is owned by 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.