Marshall Financial Group LLC Buys 6,058 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Marshall Financial Group LLC increased its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 21.2%, owning 34,627 shares valued at $2.8 million as of its latest SEC filing.
• Merck's quarterly earnings exceeded analysts' expectations, posting $2.13 EPS against a projection of $2.03, despite reporting revenues slightly below the consensus estimate.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.81 per share, representing an annualized dividend yield of 4.0% and a payout ratio of 49.92%.

Marshall Financial Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 21.2% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 34,627 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 6,058 shares during the quarter. Marshall Financial Group LLC's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $2,801,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. McLean Asset Management Corp boosted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.7% in the second quarter. McLean Asset Management Corp now owns 3,543 shares of the company's stock worth $292,000 after buying an additional 125 shares during the period. Foundation Wealth Management LLC PA boosted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.4% in the first quarter. Foundation Wealth Management LLC PA now owns 5,361 shares of the company's stock worth $481,000 after buying an additional 127 shares during the period. Saiph Capital LLC boosted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.7% in the first quarter. Saiph Capital LLC now owns 3,565 shares of the company's stock worth $320,000 after buying an additional 128 shares during the period. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC boosted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.6% in the first quarter. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC now owns 5,197 shares of the company's stock worth $466,000 after buying an additional 130 shares during the period. Finally, Tilson Financial Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.7% in the first quarter. Tilson Financial Group Inc. now owns 4,965 shares of the company's stock worth $446,000 after buying an additional 132 shares during the period. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 1.3%

Shares of NYSE:MRK traded down $1.07 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $80.44. 11,982,202 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 11,707,637. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 1.17 and a current ratio of 1.42. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52-week low of $73.31 and a 52-week high of $118.16. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $82.72 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $82.24. The company has a market capitalization of $200.93 billion, a PE ratio of 12.39, a P/E/G ratio of 0.84 and a beta of 0.37.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last announced 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 return on equity of 41.05% and a net margin of 25.79%.The business 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, research analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 7th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.81 per share. This represents a $3.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.0%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 49.92%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently commented on MRK. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on 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. Berenberg Bank cut Merck & Co., Inc. from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and decreased their target price for the stock from $100.00 to $90.00 in a research report on Wednesday, September 17th. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on 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. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Merck & Co., Inc. has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $106.41.

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.