BLI Banque de Luxembourg Investments Has $5.89 Million Stake in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• BLI Banque de Luxembourg Investments cut its Merck stake by 20.7% in the fourth quarter, selling 14,500 shares and leaving it with 55,500 shares valued at about $5.89 million.
• Merck reported quarterly EPS of -$1.28, beating analyst expectations, while revenue came in at $16.29 billion, also above estimates and up 4.9% year over year.
• The company declared a $0.85 quarterly dividend payable on July 8, and analysts currently rate the stock a Moderate Buy with a consensus price target of $128.18.

BLI Banque de Luxembourg Investments decreased its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 20.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 55,500 shares of the company's stock after selling 14,500 shares during the quarter. BLI Banque de Luxembourg Investments' holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $5,888,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Everett Harris & Co. CA grew its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 1.9% during the 4th quarter. Everett Harris & Co. CA now owns 225,183 shares of the company's stock worth $23,703,000 after buying an additional 4,109 shares during the period. Gordian Capital Singapore Pte Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter worth approximately $526,000. Fox Run Management L.L.C. bought a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter worth approximately $588,000. Waddell & Associates LLC boosted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 23.7% during the 4th quarter. Waddell & Associates LLC now owns 20,212 shares of the company's stock worth $2,127,000 after acquiring an additional 3,875 shares during the last quarter. Finally, TIAA Trust National Association boosted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 88.3% during the 4th quarter. TIAA Trust National Association now owns 278,658 shares of the company's stock worth $29,332,000 after acquiring an additional 130,701 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

Shares of MRK opened at $119.39 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a current ratio of 1.30. Merck & Co., Inc. has a twelve month low of $76.66 and a twelve month high of $125.14. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $116.56 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $112.68. The firm has a market cap of $294.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.63, a PEG ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 0.21.

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 for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates 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 firm had revenue of $16.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.85 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.22 earnings per share. The business's 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. On average, analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.17 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, July 8th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be paid a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s payout ratio is presently 95.77%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MRK has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Citigroup initiated coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $125.00 price objective on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Merck & Co., Inc. has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $128.18.

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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