Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Sold by Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC

10 Sep 2026, 06:49 by Teresa Graham · The Cerbat Gem

Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC decreased its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK – Free Report) by 1.7% during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 292,117 shares of the company’s stock after selling 4,929 shares during the quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $37,537,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of MRK. Kingdom Financial Group LLC. acquired a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Abound Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Prosperity Bancshares Inc acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. High Note Wealth LLC increased its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 58.9% in the 4th quarter. High Note Wealth LLC now owns 294 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 109 shares during the last quarter. Finally, IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Down 0.5%

Shares of NYSE MRK opened at $147.69 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $364.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 118.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.46 and a beta of 0.21. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12-month low of $77.58 and a 12-month high of $156.92. The company has a current ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $135.91 and its 200 day simple moving average is $124.10.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) EPS for the quarter, topping 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 firm had revenue of $16.61 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.37 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.13 EPS. The firm’s 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. Equities research analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.76 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be given a dividend of $0.85 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio is currently 272.00%.

Key Merck & Co., Inc. News

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

Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades support valuation: Leerink Partners raised its price target from $127 to $161 and maintained an “outperform” rating, while Guggenheim increased its target from $146 to $170 and assigned a “buy” rating. The revisions suggest analysts see further upside from Merck’s commercial execution and pipeline. Benzinga analyst rating reports
Positive Sentiment: Pipeline expansion addresses the Keytruda patent cliff: Merck is pairing antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) with Keytruda in women’s cancers, seeking to improve outcomes in difficult-to-treat tumors while building future revenue sources before Keytruda faces patent pressure. Merck pairs ADCs with Keytruda in women’s cancer push
Neutral Sentiment: Investor attention is focused on management commentary: Merck presented at the Wells Fargo 21st Annual Healthcare Conference and is scheduled to participate in Morgan Stanley’s global healthcare conference. These events may provide additional detail on Keytruda demand, pipeline progress and long-term growth plans. Wells Fargo healthcare conference transcript
Neutral Sentiment: Keytruda and new products remain central to the bull case: Commentary highlights Keytruda’s current growth contribution and Merck’s efforts to develop products capable of extending momentum beyond the anticipated 2028 patent cliff. MRK’s strong recent performance and elevated valuation leave expectations high. Merck trading near 52-week high
Negative Sentiment: Long-term patent risk remains: Investors are watching whether Merck can replace revenue that may be lost when Keytruda’s exclusivity weakens. The company’s ability to commercialize ADC combinations and other pipeline assets is therefore critical to sustaining growth and its current valuation. Merck outlook and GARDASIL commentary

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently issued reports on MRK. Leerink Partners upped their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $127.00 to $161.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 25th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, August 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lowered shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from an “outperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating and lifted their price target for the company from $142.00 to $150.00 in a report on Thursday, August 20th. Sixteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $150.33.

Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on MRK

Insider Buying and Selling at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, EVP David Williams sold 52,847 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $128.77, for a total transaction of $6,805,108.19. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 31,716 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,084,069.32. The trade was a 62.49% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 20,784 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $130.43, for a total transaction of $2,710,857.12. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 134,703 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $17,569,312.29. This trade represents a 13.37% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 228,238 shares of company stock valued at $29,977,783. Corporate insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Profile

(Free Report)

Merck & Co, Inc is a global healthcare company that develops, manufactures, and markets prescription medicines, vaccines, and animal-health products. The company serves patients, healthcare providers, and customers in markets worldwide through its Human Health and Animal Health businesses.

Merck’s pharmaceutical portfolio includes oncology, infectious disease, cardiology, immunology, and other therapeutic areas. Its products include Keytruda, an immunotherapy used to treat various cancers; Gardasil, a vaccine that helps protect against human papillomavirus (HPV); and Januvia, a treatment for type 2 diabetes.