Birmingham Capital Management Co. Inc. AL bought a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 22,128 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,843,000. Merck & Co., Inc. comprises approximately 1.1% of Birmingham Capital Management Co. Inc. AL's investment portfolio, making the stock its 27th largest holding.
Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Kingdom Financial Group LLC. acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Abound Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Prosperity Bancshares Inc bought a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter worth approximately $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 worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 109 shares during the last quarter. Finally, IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Analyst Ratings Changes
Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Citigroup began coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $125.00 price objective for the company. BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $142.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, August 20th. Scotiabank upped their price target 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. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $175.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 20th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated a "neutral" rating and set a $120.00 price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Monday, July 6th. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $147.60.
Read Our Latest Research Report on Merck & Co., Inc.
More Merck & Co., Inc. News
Here are the key news stories impacting Merck & Co., Inc. this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Positive melanoma results strengthen the pipeline. Merck and Moderna reported positive Phase 3 topline results for intismeran autogene, an individualized neoantigen therapy used with KEYTRUDA in resected melanoma. The program could create a new growth opportunity and help extend KEYTRUDA’s commercial runway. Merck Surges on a Melanoma Win
- Positive Sentiment: A busy fall catalyst calendar is attracting investors. Upcoming FDA decisions, additional pipeline updates and a pivotal cancer-vaccine readout could materially influence expectations for Merck’s post-KEYTRUDA growth profile. What Would It Take to Get MRK Stock to $200?
- Positive Sentiment: Pipeline progress, new product launches and potential M&A are improving the long-term growth outlook and easing concerns about eventual KEYTRUDA revenue pressure. Merck Stock Hits New 52-Week High
- Positive Sentiment: Analysts have become more bullish. Wolfe Research raised its price target from $155 to $180 with an outperform rating, while Argus increased its target from $145 to $170 and upgraded the stock to buy. These revisions provide additional support for the recent advance.
- Neutral Sentiment: The cancer-vaccine opportunity remains uncertain. Reuters noted that evidence for broad use of the personalized therapy is still limited, with manufacturing, patient-selection and clinical-adoption challenges potentially affecting its commercial impact. How the Merck-Moderna Cancer Vaccine Works
- Negative Sentiment: Valuation and execution risks are increasing. After gaining roughly 19% over the past month and trading near its 52-week high, MRK is approaching analyst targets, leaving less room for disappointment. Investors will likely focus on whether upcoming approvals and trial results can justify further upside.
Insiders Place Their Bets
In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, EVP Chirfi Guindo sold 15,000 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $131.00, for a total transaction of $1,965,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 46,613 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,106,303. The trade was a 24.35% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 80,315 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.46, for a total value of $10,718,839.90. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 45,509 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,073,631.14. This represents a 63.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 228,238 shares of company stock worth $29,977,783 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.17% of the company's stock.
Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance
Shares of MRK stock opened at $153.21 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $378.00 billion, a PE ratio of 122.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.56 and a beta of 0.19. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $130.39 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $122.04. 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 $156.92.
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, beating analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.26) by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $16.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.37 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 4.77% and a return on equity of 16.73%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.13 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. Analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.76 EPS 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. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be given a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 272.00%.
About Merck & Co., Inc.
(
Free Report)
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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