Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH Boosts Position in Merit Medical Systems, Inc. $MMSI

Key Points

• Fort Washington Investment Advisors increased its stake in Merit Medical Systems by 31.1% in the first quarter, bringing its holdings to 420,873 shares worth about $29.0 million.
• Insider trading was mixed: Director Lynne N. Ward sold 5,000 shares, while insider Brian G. Lloyd bought 2,000 shares on the same day.
• Merit Medical beat earnings expectations in its latest quarter, reporting $0.94 EPS versus $0.84 expected and revenue growth of 7.4% year over year, though analysts remain split with a consensus “Moderate Buy” and a $92.80 price target.

Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH boosted its holdings in Merit Medical Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:MMSI - Free Report) by 31.1% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 420,873 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after purchasing an additional 99,850 shares during the quarter. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH owned about 0.71% of Merit Medical Systems worth $29,011,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MMSI. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL purchased a new stake in shares of Merit Medical Systems during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $2,913,050,000. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its holdings in shares of Merit Medical Systems by 377.7% in the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 1,240,509 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $103,248,000 after buying an additional 980,823 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Merit Medical Systems in the 4th quarter valued at $75,957,000. Iron Triangle Partners LP acquired a new stake in Merit Medical Systems during the 4th quarter worth $33,992,000. Finally, Champlain Investment Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Merit Medical Systems during the 4th quarter worth $32,359,000. 99.66% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Merit Medical Systems

In other Merit Medical Systems news, Director Lynne N. Ward sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $62.61, for a total transaction of $313,050.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 7,809 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $488,921.49. This trade represents a 39.04% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Brian G. Lloyd bought 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 7th. The stock was bought at an average price of $62.62 per share, for a total transaction of $125,240.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the insider directly owned 2,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $125,240. The trade was a ∞ increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Company insiders own 0.70% of the company's stock.

Merit Medical Systems Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:MMSI opened at $71.73 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $4.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.05, a P/E/G ratio of 2.23 and a beta of 0.54. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $65.38 and a 200 day moving average price of $74.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 5.08 and a quick ratio of 3.46. Merit Medical Systems, Inc. has a 1-year low of $59.74 and a 1-year high of $96.74.

Merit Medical Systems (NASDAQ:MMSI - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.94 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.84 by $0.10. Merit Medical Systems had a net margin of 9.03% and a return on equity of 13.54%. The company had revenue of $381.88 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $377.59 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.86 earnings per share. Merit Medical Systems's quarterly revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. Merit Medical Systems has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.010-4.150 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Merit Medical Systems, Inc. will post 3.62 EPS for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have issued reports on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of Merit Medical Systems from $95.00 to $77.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Compass Point set a $107.00 target price on Merit Medical Systems in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Robert W. Baird set a $83.00 target price on Merit Medical Systems in a report on Friday, May 1st. Weiss Ratings cut Merit Medical Systems from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group dropped their price target on Merit Medical Systems from $90.00 to $85.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Merit Medical Systems has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $92.80.

Merit Medical Systems Company Profile

Merit Medical Systems, Inc is a global manufacturer and marketer of a broad range of medical devices used in diagnostic and interventional procedures. The company's product portfolio encompasses vascular access, drainage, embolotherapy, and interventional oncology devices, as well as radiofrequency ablation systems and hemostasis solutions. These products serve physicians and hospitals in critical care settings and support minimally invasive treatment options across multiple specialties, including cardiology, radiology, oncology, neurology and endoscopy.

Founded in 1987 by Fred Lampropoulos, Merit Medical Systems has grown through both organic development and targeted acquisitions to expand its technology offerings and geographic reach.

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