Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) CMO gets 9,865 shares from performance award

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

Merck & Co., Inc. Chief Marketing Officer Chirfi Guindo reported receiving 9,865 shares of common stock on January 26, 2026, coded as an acquisition. The shares were valued at $107.4 per share and resulted from performance share units granted on March 31, 2023.

The award reflects performance shares paid out at 94 percent of target, including dividends accrued over a three-year performance period ending December 31, 2025. After this transaction, Guindo beneficially owns 100,615.127 Merck common shares directly, plus 56.7708 shares held indirectly through a 401(k) plan.

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

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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 NJ 07065

(City) (State) (Zip)

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)
	Chief Marketing Officer

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
01/26/2026

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

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

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

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	01/26/2026		A		9,865(1)	A	$107.4	100,615.127(2)	D
Common Stock-401(k) Plan								56.7708(3)	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

Explanation of Responses:

1. Distribution of net after tax shares of common stock on satisfaction of performance criteria for performance share units granted on 3/31/23. Performance shares were paid out at 94 percent of target awards. Includes dividends accrued over the three-year performance period ending December 31, 2025.

2. Holdings include shares acquired in dividend reinvestment transactions.

3. Includes shares acquired and dividends earned through January 8, 2026 in the Merck U.S. Savings Plan, a 401(k) plan.

	/s/ Kelly Grez, as attorney-in-fact for Mr. Chirfi Guindo	01/28/2026
	** Signature of Reporting Person	Date
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
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FAQ

What did Merck (MRK) Chief Marketing Officer Chirfi Guindo report in this Form 4?

Chirfi Guindo reported receiving 9,865 Merck common shares on January 26, 2026. The shares came from performance share units granted in March 2023 that paid out at 94 percent of target, including accrued dividends over the three-year performance period.

How many Merck (MRK) shares does Chirfi Guindo own after the reported transaction?

After the transaction, Chirfi Guindo beneficially owns 100,615.127 Merck common shares directly. He also has 56.7708 additional shares held indirectly through the Merck U.S. Savings Plan, a 401(k) plan, which includes shares and dividends earned through January 8, 2026.

What was the source of the 9,865 Merck (MRK) shares reported by Chirfi Guindo?

The 9,865 shares were distributed as net after-tax common stock upon satisfaction of performance criteria for performance share units granted on March 31, 2023. The performance shares were paid out at 94 percent of target and included dividends accrued through December 31, 2025.

At what price were Chirfi Guindo’s newly acquired Merck (MRK) shares recorded?

The acquired 9,865 Merck common shares were recorded at a price of $107.4 per share. This price is used for reporting purposes in the Form 4 and reflects the value assigned to the performance-based stock distribution on the transaction date.

How are Chirfi Guindo’s Merck (MRK) 401(k) holdings described in the filing?

The filing shows 56.7708 Merck common stock units held indirectly through the Merck U.S. Savings Plan, a 401(k) plan. These holdings include shares acquired and dividends earned in the plan through January 8, 2026, and are reported as indirect beneficial ownership.

What is Chirfi Guindo’s role at Merck (MRK) as noted in this filing?

The filing identifies Chirfi Guindo as an officer of Merck & Co., Inc., serving as Chief Marketing Officer. His status as an officer requires reporting certain equity transactions and holdings in Merck common stock under Section 16 insider reporting rules.