60,015 Shares in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Purchased by Evolve Private Wealth LLC

Key Points

• Evolve Private Wealth LLC bought a new stake in Merck during the fourth quarter, purchasing 60,015 shares valued at about $6.37 million.
• Other institutional investors also increased or initiated positions, and 76.07% of Merck’s stock is owned by institutions, highlighting strong professional ownership interest.
• Merck reported quarterly results that beat analyst expectations, with EPS of $(1.28) versus the expected $(1.47) and revenue of $16.29 billion; the company also declared a $0.85 quarterly dividend payable July 8.

Evolve Private Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 60,015 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,368,000.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. First Manhattan CO. LLC. boosted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 9.8% in the 4th quarter. First Manhattan CO. LLC. now owns 156,577 shares of the company's stock valued at $16,613,000 after purchasing an additional 13,999 shares in the last quarter. Capitolis Liquid Global Markets LLC increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 81.5% during the 4th quarter. Capitolis Liquid Global Markets LLC now owns 460,400 shares of the company's stock worth $48,462,000 after purchasing an additional 206,700 shares in the last quarter. City National Bank of Florida MSD increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 9.2% during the 4th quarter. City National Bank of Florida MSD now owns 2,848 shares of the company's stock worth $300,000 after purchasing an additional 239 shares in the last quarter. Asset One Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter worth about $714,000. Finally, Aureus Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 13.8% during the 4th quarter. Aureus Asset Management LLC now owns 11,688 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,230,000 after purchasing an additional 1,414 shares during the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

MRK opened at $115.67 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.30 and a quick ratio of 1.06. The stock has a market capitalization of $285.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 0.21. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $116.22 and its 200-day simple moving average is $113.53. Merck & Co., Inc. has a one year low of $76.66 and a one year high of $125.14.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($1.47) by $0.19. The firm had revenue of $16.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $15.85 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 13.59% and a return on equity of 27.55%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.22 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th will be issued a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.9%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 95.77%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have commented on MRK shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $142.00 target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Monday, March 30th. Barclays assumed coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Friday, February 20th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $140.00 price target on the stock. Weiss Ratings cut Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, June 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Merck & Co., Inc. presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $128.18.

Merck & Co., Inc. Company Profile

Merck & Co, Inc is a global biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery, development, manufacture and marketing of prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies and animal health products. Its portfolio spans multiple therapeutic areas with a particular emphasis on oncology, vaccines and infectious disease, as well as therapies for metabolic and chronic conditions. Among its well-known products are the cancer immunotherapy Keytruda (pembrolizumab) and the human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil; the company also markets a range of medicines and vaccines for veterinary use through Merck Animal Health.

Founded in the late 19th century as the U.S.

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