Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Holdings Lifted by Generali Investments Management Co LLC

Key Points

• Institutional ownership increased: Generali Investments Management raised its Merck stake by 36% to 58,747 shares, while other funds also added positions. Hedge funds and institutional investors now own 76.07% of MRK.
• Analysts remain broadly bullish: Merck has a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $134.56, compared with its recent price of $130.72.
• Recent results and shareholder returns were mixed: Merck beat quarterly EPS and revenue expectations, while declaring a quarterly dividend of $0.85. However, insiders sold 92,603 shares worth nearly $12 million over the past 90 days.

Generali Investments Management Co LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 36.0% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 58,747 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 15,556 shares during the period. Merck & Co., Inc. makes up about 1.6% of Generali Investments Management Co LLC's holdings, making the stock its 11th biggest position. Generali Investments Management Co LLC's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $7,549,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of MRK. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 29.5% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 38,278 shares of the company's stock worth $3,808,000 after purchasing an additional 8,710 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC grew its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 52.2% during the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 11,494 shares of the company's stock valued at $910,000 after purchasing an additional 3,941 shares in the last quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC grew its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 94.1% during the second quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC now owns 32,256 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,590,000 after purchasing an additional 15,636 shares in the last quarter. Diversify Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 22.2% in the 2nd quarter. Diversify Wealth Management LLC now owns 38,031 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,054,000 after buying an additional 6,897 shares during the period. Finally, MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 111.7% in the 2nd quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 681,128 shares of the company's stock valued at $53,918,000 after buying an additional 359,356 shares during the period. 76.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $142.00 price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Citigroup began coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $125.00 target price on the stock. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $112.00 to $113.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $135.00 to $142.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $134.56.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP David Michael Williams sold 52,847 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $128.77, for a total value of $6,805,108.19. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 31,716 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,084,069.32. This trade represents a 62.49% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 6,050 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $130.38, for a total transaction of $788,799.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 155,487 shares in the company, valued at $20,272,395.06. This trade represents a 3.75% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 92,603 shares of company stock worth $11,966,744. 0.17% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

MRK opened at $130.72 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $322.85 billion, a PE ratio of 104.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.56 and a beta of 0.19. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $124.29 and a 200-day moving average of $119.33. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52-week low of $77.58 and a 52-week high of $135.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a current ratio of 1.30.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.26) by $0.13. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 16.05% and a net margin of 4.77%.The business had revenue of $16.61 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.37 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.13 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.76 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be given a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.6%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 272.00%.

Merck & Co., Inc. Company Profile

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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