Insight Inv LLC Buys 14,987 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK)

Insight Inv LLC boosted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 75.7% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 34,780 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 14,987 shares during the quarter. Merck & Co., Inc. accounts for approximately 1.2% of Insight Inv LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 22nd biggest holding. Insight Inv LLC's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $3,122,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. MorganRosel Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 1st quarter worth approximately $36,000. Argent Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 24.3% in the first quarter. Argent Advisors Inc. now owns 20,603 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,849,000 after acquiring an additional 4,029 shares during the period. Canandaigua National Bank & Trust Co. raised its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 10.4% during the first quarter. Canandaigua National Bank & Trust Co. now owns 87,795 shares of the company's stock valued at $7,880,000 after acquiring an additional 8,268 shares during the last quarter. Valley National Advisers Inc. lifted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 86.1% in the 1st quarter. Valley National Advisers Inc. now owns 19,691 shares of the company's stock worth $1,766,000 after buying an additional 9,111 shares during the period. Finally, Canandaigua National Trust Co of Florida increased its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 39.8% during the first quarter. Canandaigua National Trust Co of Florida now owns 10,327 shares of the company's stock valued at $927,000 after buying an additional 2,939 shares during the period. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently commented on the company. Cantor Fitzgerald cut Merck & Co., Inc. from an "overweight" rating to a "cautious" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 20th. Wall Street Zen lowered Merck & Co., Inc. from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, April 25th. Guggenheim reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $115.00 target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Thursday, April 17th. Finally, Citigroup restated a "neutral" rating and set a $84.00 target price (down from $115.00) on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, May 14th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have issued a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $109.19.

Insider Buying and Selling at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other news, SVP Dalton E. Smart III sold 4,262 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $82.76, for a total value of $352,723.12. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 7,778 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $643,707.28. The trade was a 35.40% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of MRK stock opened at $78.93 on Monday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $73.31 and a fifty-two week high of $129.93. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $79.06 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $87.55. The stock has a market cap of $198.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.82 and a beta of 0.38. The company has a quick ratio of 1.16, a current ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The company reported $2.22 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.16 by $0.06. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 43.23% and a net margin of 27.27%. The company had revenue of $15.53 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.59 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.07 earnings per share. The company's revenue was down 1.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 8th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 16th will be issued a $0.81 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 16th. This represents a $3.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.10%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio is currently 47.16%.

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.

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