Free Trial

Commerce Bank Has $71.02 Million Stock Position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK)

Merck & Co., Inc. logo with Medical background

Key Points

  • Commerce Bank has reduced its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 31.3%, currently holding 791,269 shares worth approximately $71.02 million.
  • Merck reported earnings of $2.13 EPS for the last quarter, exceeding expectations by $0.10, with a revenue of $15.81 billion.
  • The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.81 per share, reflecting an annualized yield of 4.1% and a payout ratio of 49.92%.
  • Five stocks we like better than Merck & Co., Inc..

Commerce Bank lowered its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 31.3% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 791,269 shares of the company's stock after selling 359,675 shares during the period. Commerce Bank's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $71,024,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of MRK. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 1st quarter worth about $27,000. Spurstone Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter valued at about $37,000. Hurley Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter valued at about $40,000. MorganRosel Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 1st quarter valued at about $36,000. Finally, Marshall & Sterling Wealth Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter valued at about $44,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $78.17 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $196.29 billion, a PE ratio of 12.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.83 and a beta of 0.39. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52 week low of $73.31 and a 52 week high of $120.30. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $80.37 and a 200-day moving average price of $84.80. The company has a quick ratio of 1.16, a current ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 29th. The company reported $2.13 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.03 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $15.81 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.92 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 41.63% and a net margin of 25.79%. Equities analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 7th. Investors of record on Monday, September 15th will be given a dividend of $0.81 per share. This represents a $3.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 49.92%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the company. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $99.00 to $98.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 10th. Guggenheim restated a "buy" rating and set a $115.00 target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Thursday, April 17th. Citigroup restated a "neutral" rating and set a $84.00 target price (down previously from $115.00) on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, May 14th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $97.00 to $90.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald lowered Merck & Co., Inc. from an "overweight" rating to a "cautious" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have assigned a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $107.44.

Read Our Latest Report on MRK

Merck & Co., Inc. Company Profile

(Free Report)

Merck & Co, Inc is a health care company, which engages in the provision of health solutions through its prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies, animal health, and consumer care products. It operates through the following segments: Pharmaceutical, Animal Health, and Other. The Pharmaceutical segment includes human health pharmaceutical and vaccine products.

Read More

Institutional Ownership by Quarter for Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK)

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

Should You Invest $1,000 in Merck & Co., Inc. Right Now?

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 Hold rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.

View The Five Stocks Here

Ten Starter Stocks For Beginners to Buy Now Cover

Just getting into the stock market? These 10 simple stocks can help beginning investors build long-term wealth without knowing options, technicals, or other advanced strategies.

Get This Free Report
Like this article? Share it with a colleague.

Featured Articles and Offers

Recent Videos

3 Value Plays Set to Explode
5 Stocks to BUY NOW in August 2025
The $2.5B Merger No One Is Talking About

Stock Lists

All Stock Lists

Investing Tools

Calendars and Tools

Search Headlines