Generali Asset Management SPA SGR Raises Stake in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Generali Asset Management SPA SGR increased its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 7.3% during Q2, reaching a total of 239,814 shares valued at approximately $18.98 million.
• Merck reported earnings of $2.13 per share for the last quarter, exceeding analysts' expectations of $2.03, with revenues of $15.81 billion slightly below the forecast.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.81 per share, with a current annualized yield of 3.8% and a payout ratio of approximately 49.92%.

Generali Asset Management SPA SGR raised its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 7.3% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 239,814 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 16,340 shares during the quarter. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $18,984,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. Legend Financial Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the first quarter worth approximately $27,000. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 141.7% during the first quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 377 shares of the company's stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 221 shares during the period. MorganRosel Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 1st quarter valued at $36,000. Finally, Chung Wu Investment Group LLC purchased a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 2nd quarter valued at $45,000. 76.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 1.0%

MRK stock opened at $84.82 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.42, a quick ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The company's 50-day moving average price is $83.67 and its 200 day moving average price is $81.42. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52 week low of $73.31 and a 52 week high of $111.58. The company has a market cap of $211.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.07, a P/E/G ratio of 0.94 and a beta of 0.37.

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 (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.03 by $0.10. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 25.79% and a return on equity of 41.05%. The company had revenue of $15.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $15.92 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2025 guidance at 8.870-8.970 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, October 7th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 15th were given a dividend of $0.81 per share. This represents a $3.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.8%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, September 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.'s payout ratio is presently 49.92%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have commented on the stock. Citigroup started coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday. They set a "neutral" rating and a $95.00 price objective for the company. Berenberg Bank lowered shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and dropped their price target for the stock from $100.00 to $90.00 in a research note on Wednesday, September 17th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective 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. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c-)" rating on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $97.00 to $90.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 30th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $105.00.

Merck & Co., Inc. 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.

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