Polar Asset Management Partners Inc. Has $3.87 Million Stake in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Polar Asset Management Partners Inc. reduced its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 45.3%, now holding 43,066 shares valued at approximately $3.87 million.
• Merck's latest earnings report revealed $2.13 earnings per share, exceeding estimates, with a projected EPS guidance of 8.870-8.970 for FY 2025.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.81, with a dividend yield of 3.8% and a payout ratio of approximately 49.92%.

Polar Asset Management Partners Inc. cut its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 45.3% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 43,066 shares of the company's stock after selling 35,734 shares during the period. Polar Asset Management Partners Inc.'s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $3,866,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

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

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock traded up $0.62 on Tuesday, reaching $84.71. The stock had a trading volume of 8,031,999 shares, compared to its average volume of 10,981,664. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 1.17 and a current ratio of 1.42. The business's 50-day moving average price is $82.72 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $82.93. The stock has a market cap of $211.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.86 and a beta of 0.37. Merck & Co., Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $73.31 and a fifty-two week high of $119.38.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, July 29th. The company reported $2.13 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.03 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $15.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 7th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 15th will be given a $0.81 dividend. This represents a $3.24 annualized dividend 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 currently 49.92%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

About Merck & Co., Inc.

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.