Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Sold by Mutual of America Capital Management LLC

Key Points

• Mutual of America Capital Management LLC reduced its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.1% during the second quarter, owning 287,539 shares valued at approximately $22.8 million after selling 6,207 shares.
• Merck's shares received a downgrade from Berenberg Bank, lowering its price target from $100 to $90, while the consensus target price remains at $104.33.
• The company recently announced a quarterly dividend of $0.81 per share, yielding 3.8% annually, with a payout ratio of approximately 49.92%.

Mutual of America Capital Management LLC cut its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 2.1% in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 287,539 shares of the company's stock after selling 6,207 shares during the quarter. Mutual of America Capital Management LLC's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $22,762,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Peoples Financial Services CORP. raised its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.5% during the 2nd quarter. Peoples Financial Services CORP. now owns 22,778 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,803,000 after buying an additional 122 shares during the last quarter. McLean Asset Management Corp grew its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.7% during the 2nd quarter. McLean Asset Management Corp now owns 3,543 shares of the company's stock worth $292,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares during the period. Cora Capital Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.4% in the 2nd quarter. Cora Capital Advisors LLC now owns 5,343 shares of the company's stock valued at $423,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares during the period. Foundation Wealth Management LLC PA grew its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.4% during the first quarter. Foundation Wealth Management LLC PA now owns 5,361 shares of the company's stock valued at $481,000 after buying an additional 127 shares during the period. Finally, Saiph Capital LLC increased its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.7% in the first quarter. Saiph Capital LLC now owns 3,565 shares of the company's stock valued at $320,000 after buying an additional 128 shares in the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have weighed in on MRK shares. Berenberg Bank downgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and decreased their price objective for the stock from $100.00 to $90.00 in a research report on Wednesday, September 17th. Citigroup started coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Monday, October 13th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $95.00 price target for the company. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $97.00 to $90.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 30th. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $99.00 to $98.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 10th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c-)" rating on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $104.33.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Up 1.0%

Shares of MRK opened at $84.78 on Friday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52-week low of $73.31 and a 52-week high of $109.92. The stock has a market cap of $211.76 billion, a PE ratio of 13.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 0.37. The firm's fifty day moving average is $83.91 and its two-hundred day moving average is $81.35. The company has a quick ratio of 1.17, a current ratio of 1.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 29th. The company reported $2.13 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.03 by $0.10. The company 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. Research analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, October 7th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 15th were paid a dividend of $0.81 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, September 15th. This represents a $3.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.8%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s payout ratio is 49.92%.

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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