Dickmeyer Boyce Financial Management Inc. Acquires New Holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Dickmeyer Boyce Financial Management initiated a new position in Merck during the first quarter, buying 9,238 shares valued at about $1.11 million.
• Merck’s latest quarterly results beat expectations, with EPS of ($1.28) versus an estimated ($1.47) and revenue of $16.29 billion, up 4.9% year over year.
• The stock has drawn mixed but generally positive analyst sentiment, with a Moderate Buy consensus and an average price target of $133.94; Merck also paid a quarterly dividend of $0.85 per share, yielding about 2.6%.

Dickmeyer Boyce Financial Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 9,238 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,111,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Chesapeake Wealth Management boosted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. Chesapeake Wealth Management now owns 14,740 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,552,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. South Plains Financial Inc. boosted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.6% during the fourth quarter. South Plains Financial Inc. now owns 15,535 shares of the company's stock worth $1,635,000 after acquiring an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. Syverson Strege & Co grew its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.2% in the fourth quarter. Syverson Strege & Co now owns 4,142 shares of the company's stock worth $436,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares during the period. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV grew its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.4% in the 1st quarter. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV now owns 23,433 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,819,000 after buying an additional 91 shares during the period. Finally, Westside Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.1% in the fourth quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,142 shares of the company's stock valued at $331,000 after acquiring an additional 93 shares during the period. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

NYSE MRK opened at $130.57 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $322.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.08 and a beta of 0.19. The company has a quick ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02. The company's 50 day moving average is $121.27 and its 200-day moving average is $117.62. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12-month low of $76.66 and a 12-month high of $131.74.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 company had revenue of $16.29 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.85 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.22 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc.'s revenue for the quarter 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. Sell-side analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.74 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th were paid a dividend of $0.85 per share. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.'s payout ratio is presently 95.77%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MRK has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $112.00 to $113.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Citigroup initiated 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 objective for the company. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday. Finally, CICC Research initiated coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $138.00 price target for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $133.94.

About Merck & Co., Inc.

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MRK? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report).

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.