93,470 Shares in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Acquired by AG2R LA Mondiale Gestion D Actifs

Key Points

• AG2R LA Mondiale Gestion D Actifs has made a new investment in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE: MRK) amounting to $8.39 million, acquiring approximately 93,470 shares in the first quarter.
• Merck's recent quarterly earnings showed an EPS of $2.13, exceeding estimates by $0.10, alongside a revenue of $15.81 billion, slightly below analyst forecasts.
• The company's upcoming quarterly dividend of $0.81 per share is set to be paid on October 7th, resulting in an annualized dividend yield of 3.8%.

AG2R LA Mondiale Gestion D Actifs purchased a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm purchased 93,470 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $8,390,000.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. Spurstone Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter valued at about $37,000. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC increased its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 141.7% during the 1st quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 377 shares of the company's stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 221 shares in the last quarter. MorganRosel Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 1st quarter valued at about $36,000. Finally, Mpwm Advisory Solutions LLC purchased a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter valued at about $45,000. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Down 2.7%

Shares of NYSE MRK traded down $2.28 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $82.87. 9,931,826 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 11,124,038. The company has a market capitalization of $206.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.77, a P/E/G ratio of 0.85 and a beta of 0.37. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52-week low of $73.31 and a 52-week high of $119.38. The company has a current ratio of 1.42, a quick ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $82.93 and a 200-day moving average price of $82.75.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 29th. The company reported $2.13 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.03 by $0.10. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 25.79% and a return on equity of 41.05%. The business had revenue of $15.81 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.92 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2025 guidance at 8.870-8.970 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 7th. Investors of record on Monday, September 15th will be given a $0.81 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 15th. This represents a $3.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.9%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 49.92%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MRK has been the subject of several recent research reports. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $97.00 to $90.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 30th. Cantor Fitzgerald downgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from an "overweight" rating to a "cautious" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 20th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $99.00 to $98.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, July 10th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $107.44.

Merck & Co., Inc. Company Profile

Merck & Co, Inc is a health care company, which engages in the provision of health solutions through its prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies, animal health, and consumer care products. It operates through the following segments: Pharmaceutical, Animal Health, and Other. The Pharmaceutical segment includes human health pharmaceutical and vaccine products.