Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Position Boosted by Resonant Capital Advisors LLC

Key Points

• Resonant Capital Advisors LLC increased its Merck stake by 129.9% in the first quarter, lifting its holdings to 31,176 shares valued at about $3.77 million.
• Merck reported quarterly earnings that beat Wall Street expectations, with EPS of -$1.28 versus an expected -$1.47 and revenue of $16.29 billion, up 4.9% year over year.
• The company also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.85 per share, implying an annualized payout of $3.40 and a 2.6% yield.

Resonant Capital Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 129.9% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 31,176 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 17,614 shares during the quarter. Resonant Capital Advisors LLC's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $3,774,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Centerpoint Advisory Group bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 1st quarter valued at $218,000. Clare Market Investments LLC bought a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the first quarter worth $329,000. Sather Financial Group Inc grew its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 7.1% in the first quarter. Sather Financial Group Inc now owns 4,895 shares of the company's stock worth $589,000 after purchasing an additional 324 shares in the last quarter. Montz Harcus Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 18.1% during the first quarter. Montz Harcus Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,379 shares of the company's stock valued at $406,000 after purchasing an additional 518 shares during the period. Finally, Signet Private Wealth LLC increased its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 4.8% during the first quarter. Signet Private Wealth LLC now owns 2,773 shares of the company's stock valued at $334,000 after purchasing an additional 128 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Merck & Co., Inc. stock traded up $2.72 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $129.50. The company's stock had a trading volume of 2,261,287 shares, compared to its average volume of 11,086,780. The stock has a market capitalization of $319.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.46, a P/E/G ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.19. Merck & Co., Inc. has a twelve month low of $76.66 and a twelve month high of $130.29. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $117.37 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $115.47. The company has a quick ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of ($1.47) by $0.19. The company 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 company's quarterly revenue was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.22 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.19 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th will be given a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 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 95.77%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MRK has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Cantor Fitzgerald restated a "neutral" rating and set a $120.00 price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Monday. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $142.00 target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday, March 30th. Citigroup assumed coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $125.00 target price on the stock. UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, April 13th. Finally, Scotiabank upped their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $136.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a "sector outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. One equities 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $131.83.

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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