Summary by Moomoo AI
On December 31, 2023, BlackRock, Inc., a Delaware-based investment management corporation, filed an amended Schedule 13G with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), indicating a significant ownership stake in Merck & Co, a leading pharmaceutical company. The filing, which is a routine disclosure for entities holding more than 5% of a company's shares, shows that BlackRock owns approximately 201,836,434 shares of Merck & Co's common stock, representing an 8.0% stake in the company. This position grants BlackRock sole voting power over 182,531,000 shares and sole dispositive power over the entire 201,836,434 shares they own. The filing emphasizes that the shares were acquired in the ordinary course of business and not for the purpose of changing or influencing the control of Merck & Co. The disclosure was officially signed by Spencer Fleming, Attorney-In-Fact for BlackRock, Inc., on January 26, 2024.