Jackson Hole Capital Partners LLC Increases Stock Position in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Jackson Hole Capital Partners LLC increased its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 5.9% during the second quarter, holding 55,973 shares valued at approximately $4.43 million.
• Multiple equity analysts have recently adjusted their price targets for Merck, with most setting an "equal weight" or "hold" rating; the average target price is now $104.33.
• Merck reported a quarterly earnings per share (EPS) of $2.13, exceeding estimates, while setting its fiscal year 2025 guidance at 8.870-8.970 EPS.

Jackson Hole Capital Partners LLC raised its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 5.9% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 55,973 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 3,100 shares during the period. Jackson Hole Capital Partners LLC's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $4,431,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of MRK. Legend Financial Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the second quarter valued at about $25,000. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the first quarter valued at approximately $27,000. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC lifted its stake 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 valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 221 shares during the period. MorganRosel Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the first quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Finally, Advantage Trust Co lifted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 57.1% during the second quarter. Advantage Trust Co now owns 550 shares of the company's stock valued at $44,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on MRK shares. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $99.00 to $98.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 10th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c-)" rating on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $97.00 to $90.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 30th. Citigroup initiated coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday, October 13th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $95.00 price target for the company. Finally, 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 report on Wednesday, September 17th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $104.33.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $87.25 on Friday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52-week low of $73.31 and a 52-week high of $106.62. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $84.37 and a 200-day moving average of $81.48. The firm has a market capitalization of $217.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.44, a PEG ratio of 0.96 and a beta of 0.37. The company has a quick ratio of 1.17, a current ratio of 1.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 29th. The company reported $2.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 analyst estimates of $15.92 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2025 guidance at 8.870-8.970 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 EPS for the current year.

About Merck & Co., Inc.

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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