Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Acquired by Uhlmann Price Securities LLC

Key Points

• Uhlmann Price Securities LLC increased its Merck stake by 235% in the first quarter, ending with 13,861 shares valued at about $1.63 million.
• Merck continues to have strong institutional backing, with 76.07% of shares held by institutions and hedge funds, while analysts currently rate the stock a Moderate Buy with an average price target of $128.18.
• Merck reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings and revenue, and it also declared a $0.85 quarterly dividend payable July 8, implying a 3.0% yield.

Uhlmann Price Securities LLC lifted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 235.0% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 13,861 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 9,724 shares during the quarter. Uhlmann Price Securities LLC's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $1,629,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of MRK. Chesapeake Wealth Management boosted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. Chesapeake Wealth Management now owns 14,740 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,552,000 after acquiring an additional 87 shares in the last quarter. South Plains Financial Inc. raised its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.6% during the fourth quarter. South Plains Financial Inc. now owns 15,535 shares of the company's stock worth $1,635,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. Syverson Strege & Co lifted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.2% in the fourth quarter. Syverson Strege & Co now owns 4,142 shares of the company's stock worth $436,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares during the period. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV lifted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.4% in the first quarter. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV now owns 23,433 shares of the company's stock worth $2,819,000 after purchasing an additional 91 shares during the period. Finally, Westside Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.1% in the fourth quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,142 shares of the company's stock worth $331,000 after purchasing an additional 93 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently issued reports on MRK. Citigroup assumed coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $125.00 target price on the stock. Zacks Research raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, June 6th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $145.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 1st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $128.18.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:MRK opened at $114.04 on Monday. The company's fifty day moving average is $115.94 and its two-hundred day moving average is $113.68. 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. has a 12-month low of $76.66 and a 12-month high of $125.14. The company has a market cap of $281.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 0.21.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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%.The firm's quarterly revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.22 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be paid a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.0%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio is 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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