Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Purchased by Bridgeway Capital Management LLC

Key Points

• Bridgeway Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 14.6%, acquiring an additional 31,401 shares, bringing its total holdings to 246,513 shares.
• Merck recently reported $2.13 EPS for the quarter, exceeding analysts' expectations, with a revenue of $15.81 billion.
• A quarterly dividend of $0.81 will be paid on October 7th, resulting in an annualized dividend yield of 3.8% for stockholders of record.

Bridgeway Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 14.6% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 246,513 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 31,401 shares during the quarter. Merck & Co., Inc. makes up 0.6% of Bridgeway Capital Management LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 16th biggest holding. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $22,127,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the first quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Spurstone Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter worth approximately $37,000. MorganRosel Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Minot DeBlois Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter valued at $45,000. Finally, Mpwm Advisory Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter worth $45,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

Shares of MRK opened at $85.34 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.42, a quick ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The firm has a market cap of $213.17 billion, a PE ratio of 13.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.89 and a beta of 0.37. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $82.32 and its 200-day simple moving average is $83.00. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12-month low of $73.31 and a 12-month high of $120.30.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 29th. The company reported $2.13 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.03 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $15.81 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.92 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 25.79% and a return on equity of 41.05%. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2025 guidance at 8.870-8.970 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 7th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 15th will be issued a $0.81 dividend. This represents a $3.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio is presently 49.92%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently commented on the company. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $99.00 to $98.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 10th. Cantor Fitzgerald cut Merck & Co., Inc. from an "overweight" rating to a "cautious" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 20th. Citigroup reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $84.00 target price (down previously from $115.00) on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, May 14th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $97.00 to $90.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 30th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $107.44.

Merck & Co., Inc. Profile

Merck & Co, Inc is a health care company, which engages in the provision of health solutions through its prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies, animal health, and consumer care products. It operates through the following segments: Pharmaceutical, Animal Health, and Other. The Pharmaceutical segment includes human health pharmaceutical and vaccine products.

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