Empowered Funds LLC Lowers Position in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Empowered Funds LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 26.0% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 507,815 shares of the company's stock after selling 178,382 shares during the quarter. Merck & Co., Inc. accounts for approximately 0.4% of Empowered Funds LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 29th biggest position. Empowered Funds LLC's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $61,085,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Envision Financial Planning LLC purchased a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 1st quarter worth approximately $207,000. Infrastructure Capital Advisors LLC raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 46.4% in the first quarter. Infrastructure Capital Advisors LLC now owns 21,977 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,644,000 after purchasing an additional 6,968 shares during the period. Glen Eagle Advisors LLC raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.8% in the first quarter. Glen Eagle Advisors LLC now owns 8,168 shares of the company's stock valued at $982,000 after purchasing an additional 302 shares during the period. Excelsior Advisor Network LLC lifted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 10.5% during the first quarter. Excelsior Advisor Network LLC now owns 3,789 shares of the company's stock worth $456,000 after purchasing an additional 361 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Quantinno Capital Management LP lifted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 32.5% during the first quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 1,333,289 shares of the company's stock worth $160,381,000 after purchasing an additional 327,035 shares in the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

NYSE:MRK opened at $130.86 on Tuesday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $122.03 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $117.94. The company has a market cap of $323.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.20 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. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52 week low of $76.66 and a 52 week high of $132.53.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($1.47) by $0.19. The business had revenue of $16.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $15.85 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 27.55% and a net margin of 13.59%.The company's revenue for the quarter was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last 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, equities analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.74 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MRK has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $135.00 to $142.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Citigroup started coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $125.00 target price on the stock. Scotiabank raised their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $136.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a "sector outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and issued a $120.00 target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday, July 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average 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.

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