Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Shares Purchased by Intrinsic Value Partners LLC

Key Points

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Intrinsic Value Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 470.3% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 15,677 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 12,928 shares during the period. Merck & Co., Inc. makes up about 1.4% of Intrinsic Value Partners LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 18th largest holding. Intrinsic Value Partners LLC's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $1,407,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of MRK. Sound View Wealth Advisors Group LLC boosted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.8% in the 1st quarter. Sound View Wealth Advisors Group LLC now owns 53,957 shares of the company's stock worth $4,843,000 after buying an additional 1,967 shares during the last quarter. Cordatus Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 29.7% in the 1st quarter. Cordatus Wealth Management LLC now owns 27,047 shares of the company's stock worth $2,428,000 after purchasing an additional 6,189 shares in the last quarter. Hoxton Planning & Management LLC purchased a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 1st quarter worth approximately $291,000. Letko Brosseau & Associates Inc. lifted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.2% in the 1st quarter. Letko Brosseau & Associates Inc. now owns 240,909 shares of the company's stock worth $21,624,000 after purchasing an additional 5,175 shares in the last quarter. Finally, SSA Swiss Advisors AG purchased a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 1st quarter worth approximately $2,754,000. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Down 0.9%

Shares of MRK opened at $81.91 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 1.41, a quick ratio of 1.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The firm's 50-day moving average is $80.37 and its two-hundred day moving average is $84.96. Merck & Co., Inc. has a twelve month low of $73.31 and a twelve month high of $120.30. The firm has a market capitalization of $205.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.62, a PEG ratio of 0.84 and a beta of 0.39.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, July 29th. The company reported $2.13 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.03 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $15.81 billion for 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 41.63%. On average, research analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 7th. Investors of record on Monday, September 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.81 per share. This represents a $3.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.96%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.'s payout ratio is 47.16%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $99.00 to $98.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 10th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $97.00 to $90.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. Cantor Fitzgerald lowered shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from an "overweight" rating to a "cautious" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 20th. Guggenheim reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $115.00 price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Thursday, April 17th. Finally, Citigroup reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and set a $84.00 price target (down previously from $115.00) on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, May 14th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have given a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price 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.

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