Merck EVP exercises 1,967 RSUs; 969 withheld

Merck & Co., Inc. EVP Chirfi Guindo reported routine equity compensation activity.

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

Merck & Co., Inc. EVP Chirfi Guindo reported routine equity compensation activity. On April 29, 2026, he exercised 1,967 restricted stock units, receiving the same number of Merck common shares. Of these, 969 shares were withheld to cover tax obligations.

After these transactions, Guindo held 61,613.127 Merck common shares directly, plus 57.1377 shares indirectly through a 401(k) plan, and 3,935 restricted stock units. The filing notes that restricted stock units vest and are distributed in three equal installments on April 29, 2026, 2027 and 2028, and holdings include shares from dividend reinvestment.

Insider Trade Summary

1,967 shares exercised/converted

Exercise 4 txns

Insider Guindo Chirfi

Role EVP, Access, Policy & Comms

Type	Security	Shares	Price	Value
Exercise	Restricted Stock Unit	1,967	$0.00	$0.00
Exercise	Common Stock	1,967	$110.03	$216K
Exercise Price or Tax Liability	Common Stock	969	$110.03	$107K
holding	Common Stock-401(k) Plan	--	--	--

Holdings After Transaction: Restricted Stock Unit — 3,935 contracts (Direct); Common Stock — 61,613.127 shares (Direct); Common Stock-401(k) Plan — 57.1377 shares (Indirect, By 401(k))

Footnotes (3)

1. F1. Holdings include shares acquired in dividend reinvestment transactions.
2. F2. Each restricted stock unit represents a contingent right to receive one share of Merck & Co., Inc. common stock.
3. F3. These restricted stock units vest and are distributed as shares of Merck & Co., Inc. common stock in three equal installments on 4/29/2026, 4/29/2027 and 4/29/2028.

Key Figures

RSUs exercised: 1,967 shares Tax-withheld shares: 969 shares Transaction reference price: $110.03 per share +4 more

7 metrics

RSUs exercised 1,967 shares Restricted stock units converted to Merck common stock on April 29, 2026

Tax-withheld shares 969 shares Shares withheld to satisfy tax obligations on April 29, 2026

Transaction reference price $110.03 per share Price associated with reported common stock entries on April 29, 2026

Direct common shares after transactions 61,613.127 shares Direct Merck common stock holdings following April 29, 2026 transactions

Indirect 401(k) holdings 57.1377 shares Merck common stock held indirectly through a 401(k) plan

RSUs remaining 3,935 units Restricted stock units outstanding after the reported exercise

RSU vesting dates April 29, 2026, 2027, 2028 Three equal installment vesting and distribution schedule

Key Terms

Restricted Stock Unit, tax-withholding disposition, dividend reinvestment transactions, 401(k) Plan

4 terms

Restricted Stock Unit financial

"Each restricted stock unit represents a contingent right to receive one share of Merck & Co., Inc. common stock."

A restricted stock unit is a promise from a company to give an employee shares of stock after certain conditions are met, like staying with the company for a set amount of time. It’s like earning a bonus that turns into company stock once you’ve proven your commitment, making it a way to motivate and reward employees.

tax-withholding disposition financial

"Payment of exercise price or tax liability by delivering securities"

A tax-withholding disposition is an event or transaction—such as selling or transferring securities, exercising options, or receiving compensation—that triggers a requirement to hold back part of the payment and remit it to tax authorities. It matters to investors because it reduces the cash they receive immediately and can change the timing and amount of taxable income, like a cashier taking a portion of your sale proceeds to pay taxes before you get the rest.

dividend reinvestment transactions financial

"Holdings include shares acquired in dividend reinvestment transactions."

401(k) Plan financial

"Common Stock-401(k) Plan"

A 401(k) plan is a workplace retirement account that lets employees set aside part of their pay into a tax-advantaged savings pot, often with employers adding matching contributions — like a workplace piggy bank for future income. It matters to investors because the amount people save and how employers fund these plans influence consumer spending, corporate payroll costs and the flow of money into financial markets, which can affect stock prices and company valuations.

FAQ

AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

What insider transaction did Merck (MRK) EVP Chirfi Guindo report on April 29, 2026?

Chirfi Guindo reported exercising 1,967 restricted stock units into the same number of Merck common shares. As part of this equity compensation event, 969 shares were withheld to satisfy tax obligations rather than sold in the open market.

How many Merck (MRK) shares does Chirfi Guindo hold after this Form 4 filing?

Following the reported transactions, Chirfi Guindo directly holds 61,613.127 shares of Merck common stock. He also has 57.1377 additional shares held indirectly through a 401(k) plan, providing retirement-related exposure to the company’s equity.

What happened to the 969 Merck (MRK) shares listed with code F in the Form 4?

The 969 Merck shares were withheld to cover tax liabilities related to the restricted stock unit vesting and exercise. This F-code transaction is a tax-withholding disposition and does not represent an open-market sale initiated by the executive.

How many restricted stock units does Chirfi Guindo still hold in Merck (MRK)?

After the reported exercise, Chirfi Guindo holds 3,935 restricted stock units in Merck. Each restricted stock unit represents a contingent right to receive one share of Merck common stock, subject to the stated vesting and distribution schedule.

When do Chirfi Guindo’s remaining Merck (MRK) restricted stock units vest and distribute?

The restricted stock units vest and are distributed as Merck common shares in three equal installments. These installments occur on April 29, 2026, April 29, 2027, and April 29, 2028, following the company’s equity compensation terms.

What does the Merck (MRK) Form 4 say about dividend reinvestment in Chirfi Guindo’s holdings?

The filing states that Chirfi Guindo’s holdings include shares acquired through dividend reinvestment transactions. This means dividends paid on existing Merck shares were automatically used to purchase additional shares rather than being taken in cash.

AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

Form 4 Insider Transactions: What Each Field Means →

See more from StockTitan in Google Search and AI answers. Adds StockTitan as a preferred source · opens Google

Add on Google Not now

Accepted by SEC EDGAR 05/01/2026 - 06:54 PM EDT Learn about SEC filing dates

SEC Form 4

FORM 4

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

OMB APPROVAL

OMB Number:			3235-0287
Estimated average burden
hours per response:			0.5

Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

Check this box to indicate that a transaction was made pursuant to a contract, instruction or written plan for the purchase or sale of equity securities of the issuer that is intended to satisfy the affirmative defense conditions of Rule 10b5-1(c). See Instruction 10.

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person^*

Guindo Chirfi

(Last) (First) (Middle)

MERCK & CO., INC.

126 EAST LINCOLN AVENUE

(Street)

RAHWAY NEW JERSEY 07065

(City) (State) (Zip)

UNITED STATES

(Country)

2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
Merck & Co., Inc. [ MRK ]

5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)

	Director		10% Owner
X	Officer (give title below)		Other (specify below)
	EVP, Access, Policy & Comms

2a. Foreign Trading Symbol

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
04/29/2026

6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)

X	Form filed by One Reporting Person
	Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed Of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)			5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4)	6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
			Code	V	Amount	(A) or (D)	Price
Common Stock	04/29/2026		M		1,967	A	$110.03	62,582.127	D
Common Stock	04/29/2026		F		969	D	$110.03	61,613.127	D
Common Stock-401(k) Plan								57.1377(1)	I	By 401(k)

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)	2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		7. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 3 and 4)		8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)	9. Number of derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)	10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
				Code	V	(A)	(D)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares
Restricted Stock Unit	(2)	04/29/2026		M			1,967	04/29/2026(3)	04/29/2028	Common Stock	1,967	$0	3,935	D

Explanation of Responses:

1. Holdings include shares acquired in dividend reinvestment transactions.

2. Each restricted stock unit represents a contingent right to receive one share of Merck & Co., Inc. common stock.

3. These restricted stock units vest and are distributed as shares of Merck & Co., Inc. common stock in three equal installments on 4/29/2026, 4/29/2027 and 4/29/2028.

	/s/ Kelly Grez, as attorney-in-fact for Mr. Chirfi Guindo	05/01/2026
	** Signature of Reporting Person	Date
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4 (b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.
Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB Number.
* Form 4: SEC 1474 (03-26)