Benjamin Edwards Inc. Boosts Stock Holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Benjamin Edwards Inc. increased its Merck stake by 36.3% in the second quarter, bringing its holdings to 224,529 shares valued at approximately $28.9 million. Institutional investors collectively own 76.07% of Merck.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive view, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $135.50; several firms recently raised their targets to between $145 and $155.
• Merck reported quarterly revenue of $16.61 billion, exceeding expectations, while EPS also beat estimates. The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.85, representing a 2.5% annualized yield, though insiders sold nearly $30 million in shares during the quarter.

Benjamin Edwards Inc. grew its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 36.3% during the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 224,529 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 59,854 shares during the quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc.'s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $28,854,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. D.A. Davidson & CO. boosted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 4.4% during the 4th quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 576,959 shares of the company's stock valued at $60,731,000 after acquiring an additional 24,576 shares in the last quarter. Pinnbrook Capital Management LP raised its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 95.2% in the 4th quarter. Pinnbrook Capital Management LP now owns 23,280 shares of the company's stock worth $2,450,000 after acquiring an additional 11,355 shares in the last quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. raised its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 32.6% in the 4th quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 1,301,744 shares of the company's stock worth $137,022,000 after acquiring an additional 320,143 shares in the last quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB lifted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 13.9% in the 4th quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 1,843,042 shares of the company's stock valued at $193,999,000 after purchasing an additional 224,752 shares during the period. Finally, Panagora Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 410.5% in the 4th quarter. Panagora Asset Management Inc. now owns 705,442 shares of the company's stock valued at $74,255,000 after purchasing an additional 567,249 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on MRK shares. Weiss Ratings lowered Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated a "neutral" rating and issued a $120.00 price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Monday, July 6th. Argus raised their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Guggenheim boosted their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $146.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Scotiabank upped their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $136.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a "sector outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $135.50.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 0.5%

MRK stock opened at $135.34 on Wednesday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a twelve month low of $77.58 and a twelve month high of $137.98. The company has a quick ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 1.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. The firm has a market cap of $333.90 billion, a PE ratio of 108.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.86 and a beta of 0.19. The business has a 50 day moving average of $126.19 and a 200 day moving average of $120.43.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.26) by $0.13. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 16.73% and a net margin of 4.77%.The business had revenue of $16.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $16.37 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.13 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue 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, research analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.77 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The business 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 2.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.'s payout ratio is currently 272.00%.

Insider Transactions at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, EVP Chirfi Guindo sold 15,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $131.00, for a total transaction of $1,965,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 46,613 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,106,303. This trade represents a 24.35% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 20,784 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $130.43, for a total transaction of $2,710,857.12. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 134,703 shares of the company's stock, valued at $17,569,312.29. This trade represents a 13.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 228,238 shares of company stock worth $29,977,783 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.17% of the company's stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. 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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