Bank of New York Mellon Corp Sells 373,190 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Bank of New York Mellon reduced its Merck stake by 2.0%, selling 373,190 shares in the second quarter while retaining 18.34 million shares worth approximately $2.36 billion. Institutional investors own 76.07% of Merck.
• Merck reported quarterly revenue of $16.61 billion, up 5.1% year over year and above analyst expectations, while adjusted earnings exceeded consensus estimates. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $144.10.
• Merck declared a quarterly dividend of $0.85 per share, or $3.40 annualized, representing a 2.3% yield. Company insiders have sold 228,238 shares worth nearly $30 million over the past three months.

Bank of New York Mellon Corp lowered its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 2.0% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 18,340,173 shares of the company's stock after selling 373,190 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp owned approximately 0.74% of Merck & Co., Inc. worth $2,356,712,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Kingdom Financial Group LLC. bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Abound Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Prosperity Bancshares Inc purchased a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. High Note Wealth LLC raised its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 58.9% during the 4th quarter. High Note Wealth LLC now owns 294 shares of the company's stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 109 shares during the period. Finally, IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. purchased a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter worth $31,000. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $150.67 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $371.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 120.54, a P/E/G ratio of 6.40 and a beta of 0.19. The company has a current ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12 month low of $77.58 and a 12 month high of $154.49. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $128.81 and its 200-day moving average price is $121.53.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.26) by $0.13. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 4.77% and a return on equity of 16.73%. The company had revenue of $16.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.37 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.13 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.76 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be given a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio is presently 272.00%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on MRK shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Bank of America raised their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Scotiabank boosted their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $136.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a "sector outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. Finally, Citigroup began coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $125.00 target price on the stock. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $144.10.

Insider Transactions at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other news, EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 11,699 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $131.63, for a total transaction of $1,539,939.37. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 110,167 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,501,282.21. This trade represents a 9.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP David R. Maraldo sold 18,706 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $128.72, for a total transaction of $2,407,836.32. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 18,212 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,344,248.64. The trade was a 50.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders have sold 228,238 shares of company stock worth $29,977,783. Insiders own 0.17% of the company's stock.

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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