Merck (MRK) CEO Robert M. Davis Receives Award of 47,434 Shares

What Happened Robert M. Davis (Chairman, CEO & President, Director) received an award of 47,434 shares of Merck common stock on 2026-01-26. The shares are reported at $107.40 per share, for a total value of $5,094,412. The award represents the net, after-tax distribution of performance share units (PSUs) granted 3/31/2023 and was paid out at 94% of target; dividends accrued over the three-year performance period were included.

Key Details

• Transaction date and price: 2026-01-26, 47,434 shares at $107.40 each (total $5,094,412). Transaction code: A (award/acquisition).
• Footnote: Distribution of net after-tax shares on satisfaction of performance criteria for PSUs granted 3/31/2023; payout was 94% of target and includes accrued dividends (performance period ended 12/31/2025).
• Filing: Form 4 filed 2026-01-28 reporting the 1/26/2026 transaction. No indication in the filing that this was late.
• Shares owned after transaction: Not specified in the provided filing details.

Context This was a compensation payout of performance-based restricted stock (PSUs) rather than an open-market purchase or sale. Such awards reflect company compensation outcomes (performance vs. targets) and include tax-withholding in the net-share distribution; they should not be interpreted as a direct buy or sell signal by the insider.