Merit Medical Systems, Inc. $MMSI Stake Reduced by Handelsbanken Fonder AB

Key Points

• Handelsbanken Fonder AB cut its stake in Merit Medical Systems by 16.5% in the fourth quarter, selling 53,000 shares and leaving it with 268,309 shares valued at about $23.6 million.
• Insider trading was mixed: Director Lynne N. Ward sold 5,000 shares, while insider Brian G. Lloyd bought 2,000 shares, reflecting both selling and buying activity around the stock.
• Merit Medical Systems beat quarterly expectations with EPS of $0.94 versus $0.84 expected and revenue of $381.9 million, while analysts currently rate the stock a “Moderate Buy” with a consensus target price of $92.80.

Handelsbanken Fonder AB reduced its stake in shares of Merit Medical Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:MMSI - Free Report) by 16.5% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 268,309 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 53,000 shares during the quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB owned about 0.45% of Merit Medical Systems worth $23,649,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MMSI. Maseco LLP bought a new position in Merit Medical Systems during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Torren Management LLC bought a new position in Merit Medical Systems during the 4th quarter worth $38,000. Danske Bank A S bought a new position in Merit Medical Systems during the 3rd quarter worth $42,000. Quarry LP grew its stake in Merit Medical Systems by 185.9% during the 3rd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 526 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $44,000 after buying an additional 342 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC bought a new position in Merit Medical Systems during the 4th quarter worth $47,000. 99.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Merit Medical Systems

In related news, Director Lynne N. Ward sold 5,000 shares of Merit Medical Systems stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $62.61, for a total transaction of $313,050.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 7,809 shares of the company's stock, valued at $488,921.49. The trade was a 39.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Brian G. Lloyd purchased 2,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 7th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $62.62 per share, with a total value of $125,240.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the insider directly owned 2,000 shares in the company, valued at $125,240. The trade was a ∞ increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. 0.70% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Merit Medical Systems Trading Up 1.1%

Shares of MMSI stock opened at $64.49 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 3.46 and a current ratio of 5.08. Merit Medical Systems, Inc. has a 1 year low of $59.74 and a 1 year high of $100.05. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $67.10 and a two-hundred day moving average of $78.05. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.85 billion, a PE ratio of 27.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 0.58.

Merit Medical Systems (NASDAQ:MMSI - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.84 by $0.10. Merit Medical Systems had a return on equity of 13.54% and a net margin of 9.03%.The company had revenue of $381.88 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $377.59 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.86 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. Merit Medical Systems has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.010-4.150 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Merit Medical Systems, Inc. will post 3.61 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently commented on MMSI. Weiss Ratings downgraded Merit Medical Systems from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Barrington Research reduced their price target on Merit Medical Systems from $109.00 to $107.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Citigroup reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Merit Medical Systems in a research report on Monday, April 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on Merit Medical Systems from $95.00 to $77.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, BTIG Research began coverage on Merit Medical Systems in a research report on Friday, February 6th. They set a "buy" rating and a $107.00 price target for the company. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Merit Medical Systems has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $92.80.

Merit Medical Systems Profile

Merit Medical Systems, Inc is a global manufacturer and marketer of a broad range of medical devices used in diagnostic and interventional procedures. The company's product portfolio encompasses vascular access, drainage, embolotherapy, and interventional oncology devices, as well as radiofrequency ablation systems and hemostasis solutions. These products serve physicians and hospitals in critical care settings and support minimally invasive treatment options across multiple specialties, including cardiology, radiology, oncology, neurology and endoscopy.

Founded in 1987 by Fred Lampropoulos, Merit Medical Systems has grown through both organic development and targeted acquisitions to expand its technology offerings and geographic reach.

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