Carolina Wealth Advisors LLC decreased its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 33.2% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 32,171 shares of the company's stock after selling 15,954 shares during the period. Merck & Co., Inc. comprises 1.6% of Carolina Wealth Advisors LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 19th biggest holding. Carolina Wealth Advisors LLC's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $4,134,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
A number of other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MRK. Kingdom Financial Group LLC. bought a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Prosperity Bancshares Inc bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Abound Financial LLC acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter worth $31,000. Finally, High Note Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 58.9% during the fourth quarter. High Note Wealth LLC now owns 294 shares of the company's stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 109 shares during the period. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Up 1.7%
MRK opened at $130.72 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $322.85 billion, a PE ratio of 104.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.56 and a beta of 0.19. Merck & Co., Inc. has a twelve month low of $77.58 and a twelve month high of $135.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a current ratio of 1.30. The firm's fifty day moving average is $124.29 and its two-hundred day moving average is $119.33.
Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.26) by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $16.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $16.37 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 16.05% and a net margin of 4.77%.The company's revenue was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.13 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.76 EPS for the current year.
Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend
The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be paid a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s payout ratio is presently 272.00%.
Insider Buying and Selling at Merck & Co., Inc.
In other news, EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 6,050 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $130.38, for a total value of $788,799.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 155,487 shares in the company, valued at $20,272,395.06. This trade represents a 3.75% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP David Michael Williams sold 52,847 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $128.77, for a total transaction of $6,805,108.19. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 31,716 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,084,069.32. The trade was a 62.49% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 92,603 shares of company stock valued at $11,966,744 over the last quarter. Insiders own 0.17% of the company's stock.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, July 20th. Guggenheim lifted their price target 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. Citigroup started coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $125.00 price target on the stock. UBS Group raised their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, April 13th. Finally, Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $134.56.
View Our Latest Stock Analysis on Merck & Co., Inc.
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.
Read More
This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.
Continue following MarketBeat
Add MarketBeat as your preferred source on Google to see our latest stories in your feed.
Before you consider Merck & Co., Inc., you'll want to hear this.
MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and Merck & Co., Inc. wasn't on the list.
While Merck & Co., Inc. currently has a Moderate Buy rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.
View The Five Stocks Here
MarketBeat just released its list of the 7 hottest IPOs expected to hit Wall Street in 2026. See which companies are preparing to go public and why investors are watching closely.
Get This Free Report
