BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S Reduces Holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• BI Asset Management cut its Merck stake by 16.9% in the first quarter, selling 229,569 shares and leaving it with 1,127,730 shares valued at about $134.6 million.
• Wall Street sentiment on Merck remains generally positive, with analysts assigning a Moderate Buy consensus rating and an average price target of $128.18. Recent updates included upgrades and raised targets from firms such as JPMorgan and Wall Street Zen.
• Merck reported better-than-expected Q1 results, posting EPS of ($1.28) versus estimates of ($1.47) and revenue of $16.29 billion, up 4.9% year over year. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.85 per share, implying a 3.0% annual yield.

BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S trimmed its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 16.9% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,127,730 shares of the company's stock after selling 229,569 shares during the quarter. Merck & Co., Inc. makes up 1.4% of BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S's investment portfolio, making the stock its 13th largest position. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $134,561,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other large investors have also bought and sold shares of MRK. Kingdom Financial Group LLC. purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Prosperity Bancshares Inc purchased a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Abound Financial LLC purchased a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter worth $26,000. IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, 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 last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have weighed in on MRK. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $142.00 price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday, March 30th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, June 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Citigroup initiated coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $125.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $145.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 1st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $128.18.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Up 0.1%

NYSE:MRK opened at $114.04 on Monday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $115.94 and a 200-day moving average price of $113.68. The stock has a market cap of $281.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.12, a P/E/G ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 0.21. The company has a current ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12 month low of $76.66 and a 12 month high of $125.14.

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

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be issued a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.0%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio is 95.77%.

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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