Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Acquired by Convergence Investment Partners LLC

Key Points

• Convergence Investment Partners LLC increased its Merck stake by 78.6% in the fourth quarter, buying 17,734 additional shares and bringing its total to 40,292 shares worth about $4.24 million.
• Merck shares were down 1.8% to $111.36, with the stock trading between a 52-week low of $74.37 and high of $125.14; institutional investors still own about 76.07% of the company.
• Merck’s latest earnings beat expectations, as it reported EPS of -$1.28 versus an expected -$1.47 and revenue of $16.29 billion, while analysts currently rate the stock a Moderate Buy with an average price target of $128.18.

Convergence Investment Partners LLC grew its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 78.6% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 40,292 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 17,734 shares during the period. Merck & Co., Inc. makes up approximately 0.8% of Convergence Investment Partners LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 28th biggest holding. Convergence Investment Partners LLC's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $4,241,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 254,322,763 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,770,014,000 after purchasing an additional 2,185,853 shares during the period. DLD Asset Management LP increased its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 30.1% in the third quarter. DLD Asset Management LP now owns 47,500,000 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,986,675,000 after purchasing an additional 11,000,000 shares during the period. Legal & General Group Plc increased its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 5.9% in the third quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 20,659,157 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,733,923,000 after purchasing an additional 1,156,112 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 16.6% in the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 19,844,936 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,665,585,000 after buying an additional 2,821,766 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ameriprise Financial Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 20.7% in the third quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 15,933,909 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,336,877,000 after buying an additional 2,735,459 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 1.8%

Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $111.36 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. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1-year low of $74.37 and a 1-year high of $125.14. The company has a market cap of $275.03 billion, a PE ratio of 31.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 0.18. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $116.00 and its 200 day moving average price is $109.21.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($1.47) by $0.19. The company had revenue of $16.29 billion for 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%.Merck & Co., Inc.'s quarterly revenue was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.22 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.16 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently weighed in on MRK shares. Guggenheim lifted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $122.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $145.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $116.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Citigroup started coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $125.00 price target on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $128.18.

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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