<div id="readability-page-1"><div><p>Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bullish stance on <strong>Merck &amp; Co</strong> <span>MRK</span>.</p><p>And retail traders should know.</p><p>We noticed this today when the trades showed up on publicly available options history that we track here at Benzinga.</p><p>Whether these are institutions or just wealthy individuals, we don't know. But when something this big happens with MRK, it often means somebody knows something is about to happen.</p><p>So how do we know what these investors just did? </p><p>Today, Benzinga's options scanner spotted 13 uncommon options trades for Merck &amp; Co.</p><p>This isn't normal.</p><p>The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 53% bullish and 38%, bearish.</p><p>Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 3 are puts, for a total amount of $141,686, and 10 are calls, for a total amount of $889,775.</p><h3>Expected Price Movements</h3><p>Based on the trading activity, it appears that the significant investors are aiming for a price territory stretching from $80.0 to $120.0 for Merck &amp; Co over the recent three months. </p><h3>Insights into Volume &amp; Open Interest</h3><p>In terms of liquidity and interest, the mean open interest for Merck &amp; Co options trades today is 3216.75 with a total volume of 4,215.00.</p><p>In the following chart, we are able to follow the development of volume and open interest of call and put options for Merck &amp; Co's big money trades within a strike price range of $80.0 to $120.0 over the last 30 days.</p><h3>Merck &amp; Co 30-Day Option Volume &amp; Interest Snapshot</h3><p><img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2025/1741623348_0.png?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" width="1500" height="800" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2025/1741623348_0.png"/></p><h3>Noteworthy Options Activity:</h3><table><thead><tr><th><strong>Symbol</strong></th><th><strong>PUT/CALL</strong></th><th><strong>Trade Type</strong></th><th><strong>Sentiment</strong></th><th><strong>Exp. Date</strong></th><th><strong>Ask</strong></th><th><strong>Bid</strong></th><th><strong>Price</strong></th><th><strong>Strike Price</strong></th><th><strong>Total Trade Price</strong></th><th><strong>Open Interest</strong></th><th><strong>Volume</strong></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>MRK</td><td>CALL</td><td>TRADE</td><td>BULLISH</td><td>03/21/25</td><td>$2.99</td><td>$2.48</td><td>$3.05</td><td>$95.00</td><td>$457.5K</td><td>7.1K</td><td>1.5K</td></tr><tr><td>MRK</td><td>CALL</td><td>SWEEP</td><td>BULLISH</td><td>04/17/25</td><td>$0.8</td><td>$0.79</td><td>$0.8</td><td>$105.00</td><td>$110.9K</td><td>8.0K</td><td>1.4K</td></tr><tr><td>MRK</td><td>PUT</td><td>SWEEP</td><td>BULLISH</td><td>03/20/26</td><td>$9.5</td><td>$8.35</td><td>$9.5</td><td>$95.00</td><td>$75.9K</td><td>684</td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td>MRK</td><td>CALL</td><td>TRADE</td><td>BULLISH</td><td>04/17/25</td><td>$7.35</td><td>$7.25</td><td>$7.35</td><td>$90.00</td><td>$73.5K</td><td>8.9K</td><td>522</td></tr><tr><td>MRK</td><td>CALL</td><td>TRADE</td><td>BULLISH</td><td>04/17/25</td><td>$7.35</td><td>$7.2</td><td>$7.35</td><td>$90.00</td><td>$73.5K</td><td>8.9K</td><td>522</td></tr></tbody></table><h3>About Merck &amp; Co</h3><p>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.</p><h3>Present Market Standing of Merck &amp; Co</h3><ul><li>With a volume of 5,153,380, the price of MRK is up 1.56% at $96.12. </li><li>RSI indicators hint that the underlying stock may be overbought.</li><li>Next earnings are expected to be released in 45 days.</li></ul><h3>Professional Analyst Ratings for Merck &amp; Co</h3><p>In the last month, 2 experts released ratings on this stock with an average target price of $110.0.</p><p><strong>Unusual Options Activity Detected: Smart Money on the Move</strong></p><p>Benzinga Edge's Unusual Options board spots potential market movers before they happen. See what positions big money is taking on your favorite stocks. <strong>Click here for access</strong>.* In a cautious move, an analyst from Deutsche Bank downgraded its rating to Hold, setting a price target of $105. * An analyst from Guggenheim has decided to maintain their Buy rating on Merck &amp; Co, which currently sits at a price target of $115. </p><p>Trading options involves greater risks but also offers the potential for higher profits. Savvy traders mitigate these risks through ongoing education, strategic trade adjustments, utilizing various indicators, and staying attuned to market dynamics. Keep up with the latest options trades for Merck &amp; Co with Benzinga Pro for real-time alerts.</p></div></div>

<p>Investors are showing a bullish sentiment towards Merck & Co (MRK), with 13 unusual options trades detected. The trades indicate a split sentiment of 53% bullish and 38% bearish, with a total of $1.03 million in call options and $141,686 in put options. The expected price range for MRK over the next three months is between $80.0 and $120.0. Currently, MRK's stock price is $96.12, up 1.56%. Analysts have mixed ratings, with one downgrading to Hold at $105 and another maintaining a Buy at $115.</p>

Merck & Co Unusual Options Activity For March 10