Matrix Private Capital Group LLC Acquires New Position in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Matrix Private Capital Group LLC opened a new position in Merck during the first quarter, buying 8,376 shares valued at about $1.015 million.
• Other institutional investors also increased their Merck holdings, and the stock remains heavily owned by institutions at 76.07%.
• Analysts are generally positive on Merck, with several recent price target increases and a consensus rating of Moderate Buy with a target price of $133.94.

Matrix Private Capital Group LLC purchased a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm purchased 8,376 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,015,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Aristotle Atlantic Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 11.3% in the first quarter. Aristotle Atlantic Partners LLC now owns 552,486 shares of the company's stock valued at $66,459,000 after buying an additional 55,876 shares in the last quarter. Waverly Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.8% in the 1st quarter. Waverly Advisors LLC now owns 258,634 shares of the company's stock worth $31,111,000 after buying an additional 2,030 shares in the last quarter. Asset Management Group Inc. grew its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.8% in the 1st quarter. Asset Management Group Inc. now owns 6,915 shares of the company's stock valued at $832,000 after acquiring an additional 191 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Alliance LLC grew its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 33.4% in the 1st quarter. Wealth Alliance LLC now owns 23,028 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,770,000 after acquiring an additional 5,760 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vivaldi Capital Management LP increased its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.4% during the 1st quarter. Vivaldi Capital Management LP now owns 5,197 shares of the company's stock valued at $625,000 after acquiring an additional 172 shares in the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently commented on the stock. Scotiabank increased their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $136.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a "sector outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. Guggenheim lifted their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Bank of America upped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $141.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. CICC Research assumed coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $138.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Citigroup initiated coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $125.00 price target for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Merck & Co., Inc. has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $133.94.

Trending Headlines about Merck & Co., Inc.

Here are the key news stories impacting Merck & Co., Inc. this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Merck announced initial access plans for alimatravir, its investigational once-monthly oral HIV PrEP in Phase 3 development, and said it has signed voluntary licensing agreements covering 129 countries. That broad access strategy could support adoption in large international markets if the drug is approved. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck also issued a company release on the same alimatravir access plan, reinforcing that the program is moving forward and that it is trying to expand availability in regions that account for most new HIV diagnoses globally. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Traders also bought a high volume of Merck call options, which may reflect rising bullish speculation around the stock and the HIV pipeline, but it does not by itself change fundamentals. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Par Health launched the first generic version of Janumet XR in the U.S., which may pressure Merck’s diabetes-related sales and adds another competitive headwind for an established product. Article Title

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Up 0.4%

MRK opened at $131.06 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.30 and a quick ratio of 1.06. The stock has a market capitalization of $323.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.20 and a beta of 0.19. The business has a 50-day moving average of $121.67 and a two-hundred day moving average of $117.71. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12 month low of $76.66 and a 12 month high of $131.74.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($1.47) by $0.19. The business had revenue of $16.29 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.85 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 27.55% and a net margin of 13.59%.The business's revenue for the quarter was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.22 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.74 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th were given a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 15th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio is presently 95.77%.

About Merck & Co., Inc.

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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