Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Purchased by FORA Capital LLC

Key Points

• FORA Capital LLC increased its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 24.1% in the first quarter, owning 38,399 shares valued at approximately $3.45 million.
• Several hedge funds have also increased their stakes in Merck, with institutional investors currently holding 76.07% of the stock.
• Merck's stock has a consensus target price of $107.44 and has experienced recent price downgrades from multiple analysts, impacting its current trading around $85.43.

FORA Capital LLC grew its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 24.1% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 38,399 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 7,461 shares during the period. FORA Capital LLC's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $3,447,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 29.5% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 38,278 shares of the company's stock worth $3,808,000 after acquiring an additional 8,710 shares during the period. American Assets Inc. purchased a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter worth approximately $398,000. Boothbay Fund Management LLC purchased a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter worth approximately $786,000. Marshall & Sterling Wealth Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter worth approximately $44,000. Finally, Bellwether Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter worth approximately $105,000. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

NYSE MRK traded up $0.92 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $84.13. The company had a trading volume of 10,870,371 shares, compared to its average volume of 15,286,123. Merck & Co., Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $73.31 and a fifty-two week high of $120.30. The company has a quick ratio of 1.17, a current ratio of 1.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $82.04 and a 200-day simple moving average of $83.02. The firm has a market cap of $210.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.89 and a beta of 0.38.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, July 29th. The company reported $2.13 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.03 by $0.10. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 41.05% and a net margin of 25.79%.The firm had revenue of $15.81 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.92 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2025 guidance at 8.870-8.970 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 7th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 15th will be issued a $0.81 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 15th. This represents a $3.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.9%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 49.92%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Citigroup restated a "neutral" rating and issued a $84.00 price target (down previously from $115.00) on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Wednesday, May 14th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $97.00 to $90.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 30th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $99.00 to $98.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 10th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald cut shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from an "overweight" rating to a "cautious" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $107.44.

Merck & Co., Inc. Company Profile

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.