Deep-pocketed investors have adopted a bullish approach towards Merck & Co MRK, and it's something market players shouldn't ignore. Our tracking of public options records at Benzinga unveiled this significant move today. The identity of these investors remains unknown, but such a substantial move in MRK usually suggests something big is about to happen.
We gleaned this information from our observations today when Benzinga's options scanner highlighted 11 extraordinary options activities for Merck & Co. This level of activity is out of the ordinary.
The general mood among these heavyweight investors is divided, with 54% leaning bullish and 36% bearish. Among these notable options, 3 are puts, totaling $105,845, and 8 are calls, amounting to $546,517.
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Expected Price Movements
Taking into account the Volume and Open Interest on these contracts, it appears that whales have been targeting a price range from $65.0 to $100.0 for Merck & Co over the last 3 months.
Insights into Volume & Open Interest
Looking at the volume and open interest is an insightful way to conduct due diligence on a stock.
This data can help you track the liquidity and interest for Merck & Co's options for a given strike price.
Below, we can observe the evolution of the volume and open interest of calls and puts, respectively, for all of Merck & Co's whale activity within a strike price range from $65.0 to $100.0 in the last 30 days.
Merck & Co Option Activity Analysis: Last 30 Days
Significant Options Trades Detected:
| Symbol | PUT/CALL | Trade Type | Sentiment | Exp. Date | Ask | Bid | Price | Strike Price | Total Trade Price | Open Interest | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MRK | CALL | SWEEP | BEARISH | 07/18/25 | $3.85 | $3.7 | $3.7 | $80.00 | $213.5K | 10.1K | 358 |
| MRK | CALL | SWEEP | BULLISH | 07/18/25 | $3.7 | $3.65 | $3.7 | $80.00 | $82.5K | 10.1K | 290 |
| MRK | CALL | TRADE | BEARISH | 01/16/26 | $18.75 | $18.5 | $18.5 | $65.00 | $55.5K | 78 | 30 |
| MRK | CALL | TRADE | BEARISH | 12/17/27 | $11.4 | $10.95 | $10.97 | $90.00 | $52.6K | 692 | 0 |
| MRK | CALL | TRADE | BULLISH | 01/15/27 | $10.65 | $10.15 | $10.57 | $85.00 | $50.7K | 579 | 1 |
About Merck & Co
Merck makes pharmaceutical products to treat several conditions in a number of therapeutic areas, including cardiometabolic disease, cancer, and infections. Within cancer, the firm's immuno-oncology platform is growing as a major contributor to overall sales. The company also has a substantial vaccine business, with treatments to prevent pediatric diseases as well as human papillomavirus, or HPV. Additionally, Merck sells animal health-related drugs. From a geographical perspective, just under half of the company's sales are generated in the United States.
Following our analysis of the options activities associated with Merck & Co, we pivot to a closer look at the company's own performance.
Where Is Merck & Co Standing Right Now?
- Trading volume stands at 2,955,515, with MRK's price down by -0.46%, positioned at $80.97.
- RSI indicators show the stock to be may be overbought.
- Earnings announcement expected in 48 days.
What Analysts Are Saying About Merck & Co
1 market experts have recently issued ratings for this stock, with a consensus target price of $84.0.
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