Arvest Investments Inc. Has $3.17 Million Holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Arvest Investments Inc. reduced its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 11.7% in the second quarter, leaving it with holdings valued at $3.17 million.
• Several institutional investors, such as McLean Asset Management and Foundation Wealth Management, have recently adjusted their stakes, indicating continued interest in Merck's stock.
• Merck's latest earnings report revealed a net margin of 25.79% and earnings per share of $2.13, surpassing analysts' expectations.

Arvest Investments Inc. decreased its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 11.7% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 40,003 shares of the company's stock after selling 5,313 shares during the quarter. Arvest Investments Inc.'s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $3,167,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. McLean Asset Management Corp grew its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.7% in the second quarter. McLean Asset Management Corp now owns 3,543 shares of the company's stock worth $292,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares during the period. Foundation Wealth Management LLC PA boosted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.4% during the 1st quarter. Foundation Wealth Management LLC PA now owns 5,361 shares of the company's stock worth $481,000 after purchasing an additional 127 shares in the last quarter. Saiph Capital LLC grew its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.7% in the 1st quarter. Saiph Capital LLC now owns 3,565 shares of the company's stock valued at $320,000 after buying an additional 128 shares during the period. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC increased its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.6% in the 1st quarter. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC now owns 5,197 shares of the company's stock valued at $466,000 after buying an additional 130 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Tilson Financial Group Inc. raised its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.7% during the 1st quarter. Tilson Financial Group Inc. now owns 4,965 shares of the company's stock worth $446,000 after buying an additional 132 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have commented on MRK shares. Cantor Fitzgerald cut Merck & Co., Inc. from an "overweight" rating to a "cautious" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 20th. Morgan Stanley reduced 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 research report on Thursday, July 10th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $97.00 to $90.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 30th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $107.44.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

MRK opened at $82.87 on Friday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1 year low of $73.31 and a 1 year high of $119.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 1.42 and a quick ratio of 1.17. The company has a market capitalization of $206.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.77, a P/E/G ratio of 0.87 and a beta of 0.37. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $82.93 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $82.81.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 29th. The company reported $2.13 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 company had revenue of $15.81 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.92 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2025 guidance at 8.870-8.970 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 7th. Shareholders 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 yield of 3.9%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s payout ratio is currently 49.92%.

Merck & Co., Inc. 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.

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