MERCK & CO INC MRK
COM · Common Stock · CUSIP 58933Y105 · ISIN US58933Y1055
American multinational pharmaceutical company
* Summed across managers. Shares that two managers' reports both contain – a subsidiary's holdings that its parent's report includes too, or a sub-adviser's in its client's – are counted once ($551.8m this quarter). Holder counts are more reliable. Shares outstanding: 2.5bn as of 2025-07-31, from the company's own SEC filing; the percentage can still exceed 100%: lent-out shares are counted by the lender and the buyer, and some reports overlap without saying so. Implied quarter-end price ≈ $79.17. Options: 70 managers hold calls ($2.6bn notional), 63 hold puts ($2.4bn).
Trends to Q2 2025
Institutional holders
Managers reporting a position, each quarter
Numbers
| Quarter | Holders |
|---|---|
| Q3 2022 | 2,986 |
| Q4 2022 | 3,231 |
| Q1 2023 | 3,178 |
| Q2 2023 | 3,252 |
| Q3 2023 | 3,214 |
| Q4 2023 | 3,432 |
| Q1 2024 | 3,534 |
| Q2 2024 | 3,545 |
| Q3 2024 | 3,488 |
| Q4 2024 | 3,606 |
| Q1 2025 | 3,451 |
| Q2 2025 | 3,329 |
Buyers vs sellers
Managers adding to or starting a position, vs cutting or selling out
Numbers
| Quarter | Bought or added | Cut or sold out |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2023 | 1,402 | 1,552 |
| Q4 2023 | 1,377 | 1,590 |
| Q1 2024 | 1,614 | 1,599 |
| Q2 2024 | 1,732 | 1,481 |
| Q3 2024 | 1,621 | 1,582 |
| Q4 2024 | 1,419 | 1,783 |
| Q1 2025 | 1,484 | 1,875 |
| Q2 2025 | 1,433 | 1,787 |
Calls vs puts
Options held, notional value, last 4 quarters. P/C = puts ÷ calls
Numbers
| Quarter | Calls | Puts | P/C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q3 2024 | $2.0bn | $1.9bn | 0.93 |
| Q4 2024 | $1.8bn | $1.6bn | 0.87 |
| Q1 2025 | $2.6bn | $2.3bn | 0.90 |
| Q2 2025 | $2.6bn | $2.4bn | 0.96 |
Biggest buyers
| ROYAL BANK OF CANADA | Added | +12.9m |
| FRANKLIN RESOURCES INC | Added | +5.1m |
| ARROWSTREET CAPITAL, LIMITED PARTNERSHIP | Added | +5.1m |
| CHARLES SCHWAB INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT INC | Added | +4.6m |
| UBS AM, a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC | Added | +4.4m |
| GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP INC | Added | +4.0m |
| Amundi | Added | +3.5m |
| JPMORGAN CHASE & CO | Added | +3.3m |
| MARSHALL WACE, LLP | Added | +3.1m |
| TWO SIGMA ADVISERS, LP | Added | +2.4m |
Biggest sellers
| RAYMOND JAMES FINANCIAL INC | Reduced | -8.0m |
| BlackRock, Inc. | Reduced | -7.1m |
| WELLINGTON MANAGEMENT GROUP LLP | Reduced | -4.8m |
| UBS Group AG | Reduced | -4.2m |
| BANK OF AMERICA CORP /DE/ | Reduced | -3.1m |
| Nuveen, LLC | Reduced | -3.0m |
| MILLENNIUM MANAGEMENT LLC | Reduced | -2.5m |
| JANUS HENDERSON GROUP PLC | Reduced | -2.2m |
| DEUTSCHE BANK AG\ | Reduced | -2.1m |
| NORGES BANK | Reduced | -2.1m |
Biggest calls
| CITADEL ADVISORS LLC | Added | $463.7m5.9m shares |
| SUSQUEHANNA INTERNATIONAL GROUP, LLP | Reduced | $358.4m4.5m shares |
| JANE STREET GROUP, LLC | Added | $188.1m2.4m shares |
| BANK OF AMERICA CORP /DE/ | Reduced | $165.8m2.1m shares |
| PUBLIC INVESTMENT FUND | New | $150.3m1.9m shares |
| Qube Research & Technologies Ltd | Added | $99.3m1.3m shares |
| TUDOR INVESTMENT CORP ET AL | Added | $90.4m1.1m shares |
| SIMPLEX TRADING, LLC | Added | $84.3m1.1m shares |
| CAPITAL FUND MANAGEMENT S.A. | Added | $83.8m1.1m shares |
| Squarepoint Ops LLC | Added | $82.6m1.0m shares |
Biggest puts
| SUSQUEHANNA INTERNATIONAL GROUP, LLP | Added | $508.5m6.4m shares |
| CITADEL ADVISORS LLC | Added | $351.9m4.4m shares |
| BANK OF AMERICA CORP /DE/ | Added | $205.4m2.6m shares |
| JANE STREET GROUP, LLC | Added | $203.5m2.6m shares |
| MILLENNIUM MANAGEMENT LLC | Reduced | $108.3m1.4m shares |
| Qube Research & Technologies Ltd | Added | $96.0m1.2m shares |
| CAPITAL FUND MANAGEMENT S.A. | Added | $85.0m1.1m shares |
| SIMPLEX TRADING, LLC | Added | $78.4m990.0k shares |
| TUDOR INVESTMENT CORP ET AL | Added | $69.2m874.7k shares |
| CITIGROUP INC | Added | $67.4m851.6k shares |
Options at notional value: the value of the shares the contracts control, as filers report them, not what the options cost. Not included in the holders, shares or buying above.
Major shareholders (over 5%)
Anyone who owns more than 5% of a class of the company's shares has to say so: on Schedule 13D if they may try to influence or control the company, on 13G if they're a passive investor, and update it as the stake changes. Each holder's latest filing, from 19 Dec 2024 on; percentages are of the share class, as the holder worked them out.
| Holder | Stake |
|---|---|
| VANGUARD CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC 13G · institution new · filed 2026-04-30 | 7.5% |
Fell to 5% or below in the last year: VANGUARD GROUP INC (0.0%, 2026-03-27; now reported by VANGUARD CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC)
Insider purchases and sales in Q2 2025
Shares bought or sold by the company's own officers, directors and 10% owners, in the open market or privately, as they reported to the SEC on Form 4 (due within two business days of the trade). Grants, option exercises, shares withheld for tax and gifts aren't included.
Officers and directors buying vs selling
Number of people, by quarter (10% owners not included)
Numbers
| Quarter | Buying | Bought | Selling | Sold | Sold under a plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q3 2023 | 0 | — | 2 | $947.6k | — |
| Q4 2023 | 0 | — | 2 | $4.8m | — |
| Q1 2024 | 0 | — | 8 | $51.6m | — |
| Q2 2024 | 0 | — | 0 | — | — |
| Q3 2024 | 0 | — | 0 | — | — |
| Q4 2024 | 0 | — | 0 | — | — |
| Q1 2025 | 2 | $1.6m | 3 | $1.4m | — |
| Q2 2025 | 0 | — | 1 | $352.7k | — |
| Date | Insider | Trade | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-04-25 | Smart Dalton E. III SVP Fin. - Global Controller | Sold | $352.7k4.3k shares |
Their holding: how much the trade added to or took from the insider's holding (direct, or the trust or fund named). The same trade is sometimes reported by more than one insider, such as a fund and the director who represents it; totals count it once. A value is left blank where the reported price is far from the market price (usually a typo).
Holders, Q2 2025
| Manager | Shares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| VANGUARD GROUP INC 0.32% of their portfolio | 252.9m $20.0bn | Added +401.0k |
| BlackRock, Inc. 0.33% of their portfolio | 218.3m $17.3bn | Reduced -7.1m |
| STATE STREET CORP 0.36% of their portfolio | 118.5m $9.5bn | Reduced -2.0m |
| WELLINGTON MANAGEMENT GROUP LLP 1.10% of their portfolio | 76.9m $6.1bn | Reduced -4.8m |
| GEODE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC 0.33% of their portfolio | 59.0m $4.7bn | Reduced -704.6k |
| CHARLES SCHWAB INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT INC 0.74% of their portfolio | 53.9m $4.3bn | Added +4.6m |
| MORGAN STANLEY 0.23% of their portfolio | 44.2m $3.5bn | Added +1.1m |
| NORGES BANK 0.36% of their portfolio | 36.1m $2.9bn | Reduced -2.1m |
| JPMORGAN CHASE & CO 0.17% of their portfolio | 31.8m $2.5bn | Added +3.3m |
| FMR LLC 0.14% of their portfolio | 31.6m $2.5bn | Reduced -241.9k |
| NORTHERN TRUST CORP 0.31% of their portfolio | 28.7m $2.3bn | Reduced -1.6m |
| BANK OF AMERICA CORP /DE/ 0.18% of their portfolio | 28.0m $2.2bn | Reduced -3.1m |
| ROYAL BANK OF CANADA 0.21% of their portfolio | 27.1m $2.1bn | Added +12.9m |
| FRANKLIN RESOURCES INC 0.57% of their portfolio | 27.0m $2.1bn | Added +5.1m |
| UBS AM, a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC 0.40% of their portfolio | 25.1m $2.0bn | Added +4.4m |
| Fisher Asset Management, LLC 0.79% of their portfolio | 25.0m $2.0bn | Added +567.9k |
| Bank of New York Mellon Corp 0.33% of their portfolio | 22.0m $1.7bn | Reduced -1.1m |
| Legal & General Group Plc 0.38% of their portfolio | 19.5m $1.5bn | Reduced -252.3k |
| ARROWSTREET CAPITAL, LIMITED PARTNERSHIP 1.09% of their portfolio | 19.5m $1.5bn | Added +5.1m |
| GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP INC 0.24% of their portfolio | 18.4m $1.5bn | Added +4.0m |
| DEUTSCHE BANK AG\ 0.50% of their portfolio | 17.0m $1.3bn | Reduced -2.1m |
| Invesco Ltd. 0.23% of their portfolio | 17.0m $1.3bn | Added +1.7m |
| UBS Group AG 0.28% of their portfolio | 16.9m $1.3bn | Reduced -4.2m |
| Amundi 0.47% of their portfolio | 16.5m $1.4bn | Added +3.5m |
| STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE CO 0.97% of their portfolio | 13.8m $1.1bn | Unchanged |
| AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL INC 0.26% of their portfolio | 13.2m $1.0bn | Added +299.6k |
| WELLS FARGO & COMPANY/MN 0.20% of their portfolio | 11.4m $901.1m | Reduced -516.1k |
| PRICE T ROWE ASSOCIATES INC /MD/ 0.10% of their portfolio | 10.8m $854.8m | Reduced -967.8k |
| NORDEA INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AB 0.78% of their portfolio | 10.7m $845.1m | Added +1.3m |
| DIMENSIONAL FUND ADVISORS LP 0.19% of their portfolio | 10.6m $841.0m | Reduced -291.1k |
| D. E. Shaw & Co., Inc. 0.82% of their portfolio | 10.4m $820.7m | Added +1.1m |
| HARRIS ASSOCIATES L P 1.18% of their portfolio | 9.1m $722.8m | Added +1.7m |
| ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN L.P. 0.23% of their portfolio | 8.9m $700.9m | Reduced -1.4m |
| AQR CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC 0.57% of their portfolio | 8.8m $690.2m | Added +1.0m |
| BARROW HANLEY MEWHINNEY & STRAUSS LLC 2.32% of their portfolio | 8.7m $689.2m | Added +915.6k |
| Aristotle Capital Management, LLC 1.24% of their portfolio | 8.1m $644.0m | Reduced -328.2k |
| Nuveen, LLC 0.18% of their portfolio | 8.0m $634.8m | Reduced -3.0m |
| Swedbank AB 0.70% of their portfolio | 7.9m $623.4m | First filing |
| HSBC HOLDINGS PLC 0.40% of their portfolio | 7.8m $616.0m | Reduced -218.6k |
| STIFEL FINANCIAL CORP 0.60% of their portfolio | 7.8m $614.1m | Added +312.1k |
| PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. 0.39% of their portfolio | 7.7m $611.4m | Reduced -120.9k |
| MASSACHUSETTS FINANCIAL SERVICES CO /MA/ 0.19% of their portfolio | 7.7m $607.9m | Reduced -303.3k |
| California Public Employees Retirement System 0.39% of their portfolio | 7.7m $607.7m | Reduced -615.8k |
| RAYMOND JAMES FINANCIAL INC 0.21% of their portfolio | 7.6m $604.6m | Reduced -8.0m |
| Swiss National Bank 0.36% of their portfolio | 7.6m $603.0m | Added +482.7k |
| Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group, Inc. 0.37% of their portfolio | 7.4m $588.7m | Added +150.9k |
| BNP PARIBAS FINANCIAL MARKETS 0.41% of their portfolio | 6.6m $526.0m | Reduced -1.6m |
| LAZARD ASSET MANAGEMENT LLC 0.72% of their portfolio | 6.6m $523.2m | Added +1.6m |
| Grantham, Mayo, Van Otterloo & Co. LLC 1.55% of their portfolio | 6.5m $512.1m | Reduced -217.0k |
| Pacer Advisors, Inc. 1.21% of their portfolio | 6.0m $478.3m | Added +755.0k |
| BARCLAYS PLC 0.19% of their portfolio | 5.9m $466.7m | Added +39.1k |
| TWO SIGMA ADVISERS, LP 0.92% of their portfolio | 5.7m $449.5m | Added +2.4m |
| PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL GROUP INC 0.24% of their portfolio | 5.6m $445.6m | Added +159 |
| National Pension Service 0.38% of their portfolio | 5.5m $437.9m | Added +258.3k |
| DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale 0.77% of their portfolio | 5.4m $430.1m | Added +37.3k |
| LSV ASSET MANAGEMENT 0.99% of their portfolio | 5.3m $422.4m | Reduced -129.0k |
| CITIGROUP INC 0.28% of their portfolio | 5.1m $404.3m | Reduced -1.1m |
| Beutel, Goodman & Co Ltd. 2.30% of their portfolio | 5.1m $404.1m | Added +679.3k |
| FIRST TRUST ADVISORS LP 0.32% of their portfolio | 5.0m $399.7m | Added +2.2m |
| Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co., Ltd. 0.31% of their portfolio | 5.0m $394.1m | Added +297.7k |
| Corient Private Wealth LP 0.52% of their portfolio | 4.9m $390.9m | Added +2.3m |
| Clearbridge Investments, LLC 0.31% of their portfolio | 4.9m $387.2m | Reduced -1.0m |
| THORNBURG INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT INC 4.82% of their portfolio | 4.7m $374.4m | Added +1.6m |
| BANK OF MONTREAL /CAN/ 0.19% of their portfolio | 4.7m $370.1m | Reduced -716.7k |
| Aberdeen Group plc 0.61% of their portfolio | 4.5m $356.2m | Added +12.3k |
| VICTORY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT INC 0.23% of their portfolio | 4.4m $350.9m | Reduced -34.8k |
| Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec 0.75% of their portfolio | 4.4m $349.9m | Added +104.7k |
| ACADIAN ASSET MANAGEMENT LLC 0.68% of their portfolio | 4.2m $330.7m | Added +1.6m |
| RHUMBLINE ADVISERS 0.28% of their portfolio | 4.1m $325.3m | Reduced -383.8k |
| Capital International Investors 0.06% of their portfolio | 4.1m $321.8m | Reduced -748.8k |
| CALIFORNIA STATE TEACHERS RETIREMENT SYSTEM 0.36% of their portfolio | 4.1m $321.7m | Added +18.7k |
| Qube Research & Technologies Ltd 0.44% of their portfolio | 4.0m $318.4m | Added +589.1k |
| PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL INC 0.39% of their portfolio | 3.8m $303.1m | Added +477.9k |
| AMERICAN CENTURY COMPANIES INC 0.16% of their portfolio | 3.8m $298.6m | Added +721.8k |
| HighTower Advisors, LLC 0.37% of their portfolio | 3.8m $298.2m | Added +67.8k |
| ENVESTNET ASSET MANAGEMENT INC 0.09% of their portfolio | 3.7m $296.5m | Reduced -1.3m |
| Russell Investments Group, Ltd. 0.37% of their portfolio | 3.7m $291.5m | Reduced -46.7k |
| CANADA PENSION PLAN INVESTMENT BOARD 0.25% of their portfolio | 3.6m $287.9m | Reduced -185.3k |
| CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co 0.46% of their portfolio | 3.6m $287.8m | Added +511.6k |
| NEW YORK STATE COMMON RETIREMENT FUND 0.38% of their portfolio | 3.6m $286.7m | Added +63.7k |
| NATIONAL BANK OF CANADA /FI/ 0.30% of their portfolio | 3.5m $280.6m | Added +293.9k |
| MACQUARIE GROUP LTD 0.34% of their portfolio | 3.5m $275.0m | Reduced -545.6k |
| Capital Research Global Investors 0.05% of their portfolio | 3.5m $274.1m | Added +311.5k |
| ROYAL LONDON ASSET MANAGEMENT LTD 0.62% of their portfolio | 3.4m $269.6m | Reduced -45.2k |
| LPL Financial LLC 0.09% of their portfolio | 3.3m $262.2m | Added +74.6k |
| VAN ECK ASSOCIATES CORP 0.30% of their portfolio | 3.3m $260.9m | Added +203.8k |
| Smead Capital Management, Inc. 5.18% of their portfolio | 3.3m $258.6m | Reduced -67.2k |
| Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. 0.40% of their portfolio | 3.2m $250.4m | Added +556.9k |
| Ensign Peak Advisors, Inc 0.43% of their portfolio | 3.2m $249.5m | Added +536.4k |
| MARSHALL WACE, LLP 0.30% of their portfolio | 3.1m $248.9m | Added +3.1m |
| Squarepoint Ops LLC 0.54% of their portfolio | 3.1m $245.6m | Reduced -773.4k |
| Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd, Zurich 0.72% of their portfolio | 3.1m $242.9m | Added +203.5k |
| MANUFACTURERS LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY, THE 0.21% of their portfolio | 3.0m $236.1m | Reduced -829.6k |
| Man Group plc 0.50% of their portfolio | 2.9m $233.4m | Added +440.2k |
| AVIVA PLC 0.44% of their portfolio | 2.7m $212.4m | Added +137.1k |
| Fayez Sarofim & Co 0.50% of their portfolio | 2.6m $207.5m | Reduced -296.7k |
| Mariner, LLC 0.28% of their portfolio | 2.5m $197.3m | Reduced -245.8k |
| Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. 0.23% of their portfolio | 2.5m $197.3m | Added +1.3m |
| KBC Group NV 0.53% of their portfolio | 2.5m $196.3m | Added +90.8k |
| LOS ANGELES CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC 0.73% of their portfolio | 2.5m $194.4m | Reduced -219.3k |