Advisortrust Partners LLC Buys Shares of 38,556 Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Advisortrust Partners LLC opened a new position in Merck, buying 38,556 shares worth about $4.06 million. The stake represents roughly 1.8% of its portfolio and is its 15th-largest holding.
• Several other institutional investors also increased their Merck holdings, and hedge funds plus other institutions now own 76.07% of the company’s stock.
• Analysts are generally positive on Merck, with an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $128.18, while the stock recently traded around $114.04.

Advisortrust Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 38,556 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,058,000. Merck & Co., Inc. makes up about 1.8% of Advisortrust Partners LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 15th largest position.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Chesapeake Wealth Management boosted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.6% during the fourth quarter. Chesapeake Wealth Management now owns 14,740 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,552,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares in the last quarter. South Plains Financial Inc. boosted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. South Plains Financial Inc. now owns 15,535 shares of the company's stock worth $1,635,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. Syverson Strege & Co grew its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.2% during the fourth quarter. Syverson Strege & Co now owns 4,142 shares of the company's stock valued at $436,000 after buying an additional 90 shares during the last quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.1% during the 4th quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,142 shares of the company's stock valued at $331,000 after purchasing an additional 93 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Valued Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 26.9% during the 4th quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 444 shares of the company's stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 94 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MRK has been the topic of several analyst reports. Citigroup assumed coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $125.00 target price on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, April 6th. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Wall Street Zen raised Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, June 6th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $145.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 1st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $128.18.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

Shares of MRK opened at $114.04 on Friday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1 year low of $76.66 and a 1 year high of $125.14. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $115.94 and a 200-day simple moving average of $113.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a current ratio of 1.30. The stock has a market capitalization of $281.65 billion, a PE ratio of 32.12, a PEG ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 0.21.

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

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be given a dividend of $0.85 per share. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 95.77%.

About Merck & Co., Inc.

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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