Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Sold by Van Hulzen Asset Management LLC

Key Points

• Van Hulzen Asset Management LLC significantly reduced its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 66.9%, now holding 16,111 shares valued at approximately $1.45 million.
• Despite some institutional investors increasing their positions, recent analyst reports have downgraded Merck's ratings, with Citigroup lowering its price target from $115 to $84.
• Merck announced a quarterly dividend of $0.81 per share, with a dividend yield of 3.8%, and is set to pay out on October 7th to stockholders of record by September 15th.

Van Hulzen Asset Management LLC decreased its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 66.9% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 16,111 shares of the company's stock after selling 32,567 shares during the quarter. Van Hulzen Asset Management LLC's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $1,446,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. Spurstone Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter valued at about $37,000. MorganRosel Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 1st quarter valued at about $36,000. Marshall & Sterling Wealth Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter valued at about $44,000. Finally, Minot DeBlois Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter valued at about $45,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 0.2%

NYSE MRK traded down $0.17 on Tuesday, reaching $85.14. The company had a trading volume of 14,059,197 shares, compared to its average volume of 15,346,790. The firm has a market capitalization of $212.66 billion, a PE ratio of 13.12, a P/E/G ratio of 0.92 and a beta of 0.38. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1 year low of $73.31 and a 1 year high of $120.30. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $81.73 and a 200-day moving average of $83.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 1.42 and a quick ratio of 1.17.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly 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 analysts' expectations of $15.92 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 41.05% and a net margin of 25.79%. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2025 guidance at 8.870-8.970 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 7th. Investors of record on Monday, September 15th will be given a dividend of $0.81 per share. 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 analysts have commented on 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 for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 30th. Citigroup restated a "neutral" rating and issued a $84.00 price target (down previously from $115.00) on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Wednesday, May 14th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $99.00 to $98.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, July 10th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald cut Merck & Co., Inc. from an "overweight" rating to a "cautious" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price 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.