Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI Decreases Stake in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI cut its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 43.2% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 199,356 shares of the company's stock after selling 151,402 shares during the period. Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $23,981,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Kingdom Financial Group LLC. purchased a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Prosperity Bancshares Inc acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Abound Financial LLC purchased a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, High Note Wealth LLC grew its position 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 worth $31,000 after buying an additional 109 shares in the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of MRK opened at $124.41 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $307.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.05, a PEG ratio of 5.04 and a beta of 0.19. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $120.37 and a 200-day moving average of $117.14. 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 52 week low of $76.66 and a 52 week high of $131.74.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($1.47) by $0.19. The firm had revenue of $16.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.85 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 13.59% and a return on equity of 27.55%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.22 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.76 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th were given a dividend of $0.85 per share. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio is currently 95.77%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently issued reports on the stock. CICC Research assumed coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $138.00 price target for the company. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Guggenheim boosted their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $135.00 to $142.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Merck & Co., Inc. has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $133.94.

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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