Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Sold by D.A. Davidson & CO.

Key Points

• D.A. Davidson reduced its Merck stake by 3.6% in the second quarter, selling 20,586 shares and retaining 552,007 shares valued at approximately $70.9 million. Institutional investors collectively own 76.07% of MRK.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $135.50. Recent targets range from $120 to $146.
• Merck reported quarterly revenue of $16.61 billion, exceeding estimates, while revenue increased 5.1% year over year. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.85 per share, representing a 2.5% yield.

D.A. Davidson & CO. decreased its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 3.6% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 552,007 shares of the company's stock after selling 20,586 shares during the period. D.A. Davidson & CO.'s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $70,933,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in MRK. Columbia Bank grew its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 1.0% in the 2nd quarter. Columbia Bank now owns 14,852 shares of the company's stock worth $1,908,000 after purchasing an additional 149 shares during the last quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. lifted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 36.3% during the second quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 224,529 shares of the company's stock valued at $28,854,000 after purchasing an additional 59,854 shares during the last quarter. Tenon Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the second quarter valued at approximately $205,000. Vest Financial LLC boosted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 13.7% during the second quarter. Vest Financial LLC now owns 85,329 shares of the company's stock worth $10,965,000 after buying an additional 10,278 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Beta Wealth Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.6% during the second quarter. Beta Wealth Group Inc. now owns 5,822 shares of the company's stock worth $748,000 after buying an additional 202 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have issued reports on MRK. Cantor Fitzgerald restated a "neutral" rating and issued a $120.00 price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Guggenheim raised their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $146.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Bank of America raised their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. Finally, Citigroup initiated coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $125.00 target price on the stock. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $135.50.

Insider Activity

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, EVP David R. Maraldo sold 18,706 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $128.72, for a total transaction of $2,407,836.32. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 18,212 shares in the company, valued at $2,344,248.64. This trade represents a 50.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP David Michael Williams sold 52,847 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $128.77, for a total transaction of $6,805,108.19. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 31,716 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,084,069.32. This represents a 62.49% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 228,238 shares of company stock valued at $29,977,783. Insiders own 0.17% of the company's stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

MRK stock opened at $135.34 on Wednesday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a one year low of $77.58 and a one year high of $137.98. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $126.19 and a two-hundred day moving average of $120.43. The firm has a market capitalization of $333.90 billion, a PE ratio of 108.27, a P/E/G ratio of 5.86 and a beta of 0.19. The company has a current ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.26) by $0.13. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 4.77% and a return on equity of 16.73%. 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 firm posted $2.13 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly 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. On average, analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.77 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be issued a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.'s payout ratio is 272.00%.

Merck & Co., Inc. 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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