Jupiter Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 13,800 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,773,000.
A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in MRK. OVERSEA CHINESE BANKING Corp Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $969,000. Great Lakes Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the second quarter valued at $9,753,000. Oxbow Advisors LLC raised its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 8.9% during the second quarter. Oxbow Advisors LLC now owns 3,575 shares of the company's stock valued at $459,000 after buying an additional 292 shares during the last quarter. Wealthfront Advisers LLC boosted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.0% in the second quarter. Wealthfront Advisers LLC now owns 317,659 shares of the company's stock worth $40,819,000 after acquiring an additional 6,380 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Foster & Motley Inc. boosted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 4.9% in the second quarter. Foster & Motley Inc. now owns 38,282 shares of the company's stock worth $4,919,000 after acquiring an additional 1,783 shares in the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.
Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Down 2.1%
Shares of NYSE:MRK opened at $153.21 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $378.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 122.57, a PEG ratio of 6.56 and a beta of 0.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.32 and a quick ratio of 1.10. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1 year low of $77.58 and a 1 year high of $156.92. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $130.39 and its 200-day moving average price is $122.04.
Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.26) by $0.13. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 16.73% and a net margin of 4.77%.The company had revenue of $16.61 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.37 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.13 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc.'s revenue for the quarter was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.76 earnings per share for the current year.
Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement
The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be paid a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s payout ratio is currently 272.00%.
Insider Transactions at Merck & Co., Inc.
In other news, EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 11,699 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $131.63, for a total transaction of $1,539,939.37. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 110,167 shares of the company's stock, valued at $14,501,282.21. The trade was a 9.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $135.00, for a total transaction of $1,350,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 36,613 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,942,755. This trade represents a 21.45% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders sold 228,238 shares of company stock valued at $29,977,783. Company insiders own 0.17% of the company's stock.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
MRK has been the subject of several analyst reports. Royal Bank Of Canada downgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from an "outperform" rating to a "sector perform" rating and raised their price target for the company from $142.00 to $150.00 in a report on Thursday, August 20th. UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $175.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 20th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group cut shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, August 19th. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $147.60.
Get Our Latest Research Report on MRK
Key Merck & Co., Inc. News
Here are the key news stories impacting Merck & Co., Inc. this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Positive melanoma results strengthen the pipeline. Merck and Moderna reported positive Phase 3 topline results for intismeran autogene, an individualized neoantigen therapy used with KEYTRUDA in resected melanoma. The program could create a new growth opportunity and help extend KEYTRUDA’s commercial runway. Merck Surges on a Melanoma Win
- Positive Sentiment: A busy fall catalyst calendar is attracting investors. Upcoming FDA decisions, additional pipeline updates and a pivotal cancer-vaccine readout could materially influence expectations for Merck’s post-KEYTRUDA growth profile. What Would It Take to Get MRK Stock to $200?
- Positive Sentiment: Pipeline progress, new product launches and potential M&A are improving the long-term growth outlook and easing concerns about eventual KEYTRUDA revenue pressure. Merck Stock Hits New 52-Week High
- Positive Sentiment: Analysts have become more bullish. Wolfe Research raised its price target from $155 to $180 with an outperform rating, while Argus increased its target from $145 to $170 and upgraded the stock to buy. These revisions provide additional support for the recent advance.
- Neutral Sentiment: The cancer-vaccine opportunity remains uncertain. Reuters noted that evidence for broad use of the personalized therapy is still limited, with manufacturing, patient-selection and clinical-adoption challenges potentially affecting its commercial impact. How the Merck-Moderna Cancer Vaccine Works
- Negative Sentiment: Valuation and execution risks are increasing. After gaining roughly 19% over the past month and trading near its 52-week high, MRK is approaching analyst targets, leaving less room for disappointment. Investors will likely focus on whether upcoming approvals and trial results can justify further upside.
About Merck & Co., Inc.
(
Free Report)
Merck & Co, Inc is a global biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery, development, manufacture and marketing of prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies and animal health products. Its portfolio spans multiple therapeutic areas with a particular emphasis on oncology, vaccines and infectious disease, as well as therapies for metabolic and chronic conditions. Among its well-known products are the cancer immunotherapy Keytruda (pembrolizumab) and the human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil; the company also markets a range of medicines and vaccines for veterinary use through Merck Animal Health.
Founded in the late 19th century as the U.S.
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