Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Stock: Bryn Mawr Trust Advisors LLC Trims Stake

Key Points

• Bryn Mawr Trust Advisors cut its Merck stake by 9.8% in the third quarter, selling 21,470 shares and retaining 198,678 shares worth about $28.9 million.
• Merck reported quarterly earnings of $2.49 per share, beating the $2.09 consensus estimate, while revenue of $18.09 billion also topped expectations and rose 4.7% year over year.
• Analysts’ consensus rating is “Moderate Buy,” with an average price target of $155.74; company insiders sold about $15.3 million of shares over the past 90 days.

Bryn Mawr Trust Advisors LLC reduced its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 9.8% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 198,678 shares of the company's stock after selling 21,470 shares during the quarter. Merck & Co., Inc. makes up 1.2% of Bryn Mawr Trust Advisors LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 18th biggest position. Bryn Mawr Trust Advisors LLC's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $28,870,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Bullseye Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the second quarter worth about $27,000. Curry Webb Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the third quarter worth about $29,000. Horizons Wealth Management bought a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the third quarter worth about $30,000. Graney & King LLC boosted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 400.0% in the second quarter. Graney & King LLC now owns 250 shares of the company's stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the period. Finally, Montgomery Financial Services LLC acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the second quarter valued at approximately $41,000. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 80,315 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.46, for a total value of $10,718,839.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 45,509 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,073,631.14. This represents a 63.83% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 11,699 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $131.63, for a total value of $1,539,939.37. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 110,167 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,501,282.21. This represents a 9.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 114,851 shares of company stock valued at $15,300,182. Insiders own 0.17% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the company. TD Cowen upped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $137.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, September 23rd. Freedom Broker raised their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, November 2nd. Daiwa Securities Group upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $143.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upped their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $142.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Merck & Co., Inc. currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $155.74.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of NYSE:MRK opened at $146.90 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $362.14 billion, a PE ratio of 151.44, a P/E/G ratio of 6.68 and a beta of 0.13. The company's 50-day moving average price is $146.39 and its 200 day moving average price is $127.63. Merck & Co., Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $85.24 and a fifty-two week high of $156.92. The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, October 29th. The company reported $2.49 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.09 by $0.40. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 3.64% and a return on equity of 16.73%. The firm had revenue of $18.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $17.33 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.58 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc.'s quarterly revenue was up 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.84 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Company Profile

Merck & Co, Inc is a global pharmaceutical company that develops and markets prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies and animal-health products. The company's research and commercial activities span areas including oncology, infectious diseases, vaccines, cardiovascular disease and immunology. Its products include the cancer medicine Keytruda and the Gardasil vaccine.

Founded in the United States in 1891, Merck & Co became an independent company in 1917. It is headquartered in Rahway, New Jersey, and operates internationally.

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