Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Stock Position Decreased by Park National Corp OH

Key Points

• Park National Corp OH reduced its Merck stake by 6.1% in the third quarter, selling 7,788 shares and retaining 120,805 shares valued at approximately $17.6 million. Institutional investors collectively own 76.07% of Merck.
• Merck reported quarterly revenue of $16.61 billion, exceeding estimates, while earnings also beat expectations; revenue increased 5.1% year over year. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating with an average price target of $146.36.
• Merck declared a quarterly dividend of $0.85 per share, or $3.40 annually, representing a 2.4% yield. Insiders sold 228,238 shares worth nearly $30 million over the past 90 days.

Park National Corp OH trimmed its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 6.1% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 120,805 shares of the company's stock after selling 7,788 shares during the quarter. Park National Corp OH's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $17,554,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Abound Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Bullseye Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the second quarter worth approximately $27,000. Horizons Wealth Management bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the third quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Graney & King LLC lifted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 400.0% in the 2nd quarter. Graney & King LLC now owns 250 shares of the company's stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Montgomery Financial Services LLC bought a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $41,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at Merck & Co., Inc.

In related news, EVP David Williams sold 52,847 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $128.77, for a total transaction of $6,805,108.19. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 31,716 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,084,069.32. The trade was a 62.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Chirfi Guindo sold 15,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $131.00, for a total value of $1,965,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 46,613 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,106,303. The trade was a 24.35% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 228,238 shares of company stock valued at $29,977,783 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.17% of the company's stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

Shares of MRK traded down $3.91 on Monday, reaching $140.39. The company's stock had a trading volume of 4,466,128 shares, compared to its average volume of 10,683,654. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $142.73 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $127.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.32 and a quick ratio of 1.10. The stock has a market capitalization of $346.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 112.33, a PEG ratio of 6.28 and a beta of 0.21. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12-month low of $82.01 and a 12-month high of $156.92.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.26) by $0.13. The business had revenue of $16.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $16.37 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 4.77% and a return on equity of 16.73%. The firm's revenue was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.13 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.76 earnings per share for the current fiscal 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 272.00%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have commented on MRK shares. Leerink Partners lifted their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $127.00 to $161.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, September 9th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from an "outperform" rating to a "sector perform" rating and upped their target price for the company from $142.00 to $150.00 in a research note on Thursday, August 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday. CICC Research started coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $138.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Argus increased their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 25th. Sixteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $146.36.

Merck & Co., Inc. Profile

Merck & Co, Inc is a global healthcare company that develops and markets prescription medicines, vaccines, and animal-health products. The company serves patients, healthcare providers, and customers in markets around the world, with research and commercial operations spanning multiple geographic regions.

Its pharmaceutical portfolio includes oncology, infectious-disease, cardiovascular, immunology, and other therapeutic areas. Key products include Keytruda, an oncology treatment; Gardasil, a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine; Januvia and Janumet for type 2 diabetes; Bridion for anesthesia-related use; and Winrevair for pulmonary arterial hypertension.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.