Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Stock Acquired Rep. Gilbert Ray Cisneros, Jr.
by Jessica Moore · The Cerbat GemRepresentative Gilbert Ray Cisneros, Jr. (D-California) recently bought shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK). In a filing disclosed on January 12th, the Representative disclosed that they had bought between $1,001 and $15,000 in Merck & Co., Inc. stock on December 19th. The trade occurred in the Representative’s “150 MAIN STREET TRUST > BANK OF AMERICA” account.
Representative Gilbert Ray Cisneros, Jr. also recently made the following trade(s):
- Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Xiaomi (OTCMKTS:XIACF) on 12/30/2025.
- Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Schneider Electric S.E. (OTCMKTS:SBGSF) on 12/30/2025.
- Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Hermès International Société en commandite par actions (OTCMKTS:HESAF) on 12/30/2025.
- Purchased $50,001 – $100,000 in shares of Campbell’s (NASDAQ:CPB) on 12/30/2025.
- Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Tencent (OTC:TCTZF) on 12/30/2025.
- Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (OTCMKTS:MHVYF) on 12/26/2025.
- Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Bloom Energy (NYSE:BE) on 12/24/2025.
- Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Arista Networks (NYSE:ANET) on 12/24/2025.
- Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Coinbase Global (NASDAQ:COIN) on 12/24/2025.
- Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Chevron (NYSE:CVX) on 12/24/2025.
Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance
Shares of NYSE MRK traded up $2.65 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $110.91. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 11,959,945 shares, compared to its average volume of 13,327,390. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 1.66 and a quick ratio of 1.44. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52 week low of $73.31 and a 52 week high of $112.90. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $100.62 and a two-hundred day moving average of $89.53. The firm has a market capitalization of $275.29 billion, a PE ratio of 14.65, a P/E/G ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 0.29.
Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $1.94 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.08 by ($0.14). Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 44.54% and a net margin of 29.63%. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Merck & Co., Inc. Increases Dividend
The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 8th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 15th were paid a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 15th. This is a boost from Merck & Co., Inc.’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.81. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 44.91%.
Insider Buying and Selling at Merck & Co., Inc.
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 stock was sold at an average price of $83.59, for a total transaction 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. This trade represents a 25.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Merck & Co., Inc.
Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Trust Co. of Oklahoma boosted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 7.1% in the 4th quarter. Trust Co. of Oklahoma now owns 2,704 shares of the company’s stock worth $285,000 after purchasing an additional 180 shares in the last quarter. Centennial Wealth Advisory LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter valued at $227,000. Neumann Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 6.5% in the fourth quarter. Neumann Capital Management LLC now owns 7,227 shares of the company’s stock worth $761,000 after acquiring an additional 442 shares during the period. Lantz Financial LLC lifted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 9.3% during the fourth quarter. Lantz Financial LLC now owns 16,764 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,765,000 after purchasing an additional 1,425 shares during the period. Finally, Northwest Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 39.9% during the 4th quarter. Northwest Wealth Management LLC now owns 7,815 shares of the company’s stock worth $823,000 after purchasing an additional 2,230 shares during the period. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
Several analysts have commented on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $92.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 2nd. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Monday, December 29th. UBS Group increased their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Friday, January 9th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their price objective for the company from $90.00 to $125.00 in a research report on Monday, November 24th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $112.87.
Get Our Latest Stock Report on Merck & Co., Inc.
About Representative Cisneros
Gil Cisneros (Democratic Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing California’s 31st Congressional District. He assumed office on January 3, 2025. His current term ends on January 3, 2027.
Cisneros (Democratic Party) is running for re-election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 31st Congressional District. He declared candidacy for the 2026 election.
Gil Cisneros served in the U.S. Navy as a supply officer from 1994 to 2004. Cisneros earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from George Washington University in 1994, a master’s in business administration from Regis University in 2002, and a master’s degree in urban education policy from Brown University in 2015. His career experience includes working as a logistics manager for Frito-Lay. In 2010, Cisneros won the lottery and became involved in activism and philanthropy, founding a scholarship program for local high school students. In 2021, President Joe Biden (D) appointed Cisneros as under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness.
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.