UMB Bank n.a. Lowers Position in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

UMB Bank n.a. decreased its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 6.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 120,477 shares of the company’s stock after selling 8,099 shares during the period. UMB Bank n.a.’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $10,112,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of MRK. Dakota Community Bank & Trust NA lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.4% during the third quarter. Dakota Community Bank & Trust NA now owns 3,566 shares of the company’s stock valued at $299,000 after purchasing an additional 116 shares in the last quarter. Security National Bank of Sioux City Iowa IA increased its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.6% in the 3rd quarter. Security National Bank of Sioux City Iowa IA now owns 3,402 shares of the company’s stock valued at $286,000 after buying an additional 119 shares during the last quarter. Investors Research Corp increased its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 1.3% in the 3rd quarter. Investors Research Corp now owns 9,325 shares of the company’s stock valued at $783,000 after buying an additional 120 shares during the last quarter. Trust Point Inc. lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. Trust Point Inc. now owns 14,834 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,245,000 after buying an additional 120 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Nicolet Bankshares Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.0% in the 2nd quarter. Nicolet Bankshares Inc. now owns 6,169 shares of the company’s stock worth $488,000 after buying an additional 121 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently commented on the company. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Zacks Research downgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $102.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Citigroup lifted their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $110.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $92.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $114.53.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP David Michael Williams sold 8,614 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $83.59, for a total value of $720,044.26. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 24,578 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,054,475.02. The trade was a 25.95% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Up 1.8%

MRK stock opened at $110.24 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $105.20 and a 200-day moving average of $91.94. Merck & Co., Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $73.31 and a fifty-two week high of $112.90. The company has a market capitalization of $273.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.56, a PEG ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 1.44 and a current ratio of 1.66.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $1.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.08 by ($0.14). Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 29.63% and a return on equity of 44.54%. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 7th. Investors of record on Monday, March 16th will be paid a dividend of $0.85 per share. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 16th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio is presently 44.91%.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlights strong Keytruda demand and new product launches as key upside drivers into Q4 results, supporting longer?term revenue growth and helping sentiment today. Buy, Sell or Hold MRK Stock: Key Factors to Watch Before Q4 Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Insider/“smart money” activity: Chirfi Guindo bought roughly $1.06M of MRK stock — a buy by an institutional insider can signal confidence and attract momentum buyers. Smart Money Move: Chirfi Guindo Grabs $1.06M Worth Of Merck & Co Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks’ market recap notes MRK outperformed while the broader market dipped, indicating relative strength and sector?specific buying interest. Why the Market Dipped But Merck (MRK) Gained Today
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst notes and sector coverage (Globe and Mail) provide mixed, mostly informational views on Merck alongside peers—useful for context but not a clear directional trigger. Analysts Offer Insights on Healthcare Companies: Merck & Company (MRK) and Waters (WAT)
• Neutral Sentiment: Additional analyst commentary comparing MRK with UnitedHealth provides sector perspective but no new catalyst. Analysts Offer Insights on Healthcare Companies: Merck & Company (MRK) and UnitedHealth (UNH)
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks’ primer on Wall Street estimates and key metrics ahead of Q4 is a useful reference for modeling MRK’s upcoming quarter but doesn’t itself move the needle. Curious about Merck (MRK) Q4 Performance? Explore Wall Street Estimates for Key Metrics
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks notes MRK is a trending stock on its platform—higher retail/institutional attention increases liquidity and volatility risk but is not a directional catalyst by itself. Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) Is a Trending Stock: Facts to Know Before Betting on It
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks warns that declining analyst estimates and rising M&A?related costs could depress near?term results and investor sentiment—key risk ahead of earnings. Buy, Sell or Hold MRK Stock: Key Factors to Watch Before Q4 Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Brokerage consensus is an average “Hold” rating, indicating limited near?term upgrade potential and less bullish analyst conviction. Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Given Average Rating of “Hold” by Brokerages

Merck & Co., Inc. Profile

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.