Lansforsakringar Fondforvaltning AB publ Lowers Holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Lansforsakringar Fondforvaltning AB has reduced its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.1%, owning 885,233 shares worth about $79.46 million at the end of the 1st quarter.
• Merck & Co., Inc. reported $2.13 EPS for the quarter, exceeding estimates, but revenue of $15.81 billion fell short of predictions.
• The company announced a $0.81 quarterly dividend with a yield of 3.8%, scheduled for payment on October 7th.

Lansforsakringar Fondforvaltning AB publ trimmed its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 3.1% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 885,233 shares of the company's stock after selling 28,167 shares during the quarter. Lansforsakringar Fondforvaltning AB publ's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $79,459,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 1st quarter worth $27,000. Spurstone Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter worth about $37,000. MorganRosel Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the first quarter worth about $36,000. Minot DeBlois Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter worth about $45,000. Finally, Mpwm Advisory Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter worth about $45,000. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of NYSE MRK opened at $84.16 on Thursday. The business's 50 day moving average price is $81.96 and its 200 day moving average price is $83.04. The firm has a market cap of $210.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.97, a P/E/G ratio of 0.90 and a beta of 0.38. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52 week low of $73.31 and a 52 week high of $120.30. 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 issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 29th. The company reported $2.13 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.03 by $0.10. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 41.05% and a net margin of 25.79%.The company had revenue of $15.81 billion for 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. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 7th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 15th will be issued a $0.81 dividend. This represents a $3.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 49.92%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently commented on MRK shares. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $97.00 to $90.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 30th. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $99.00 to $98.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 10th. Citigroup reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $84.00 target price (down previously from $115.00) on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, May 14th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald downgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from an "overweight" rating to a "cautious" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $107.44.

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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