Mn Services Vermogensbeheer B.V. Raises Position in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Mn Services Vermogensbeheer B.V. increased its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.8%, acquiring an additional 7,500 shares, bringing their total holdings to 940,699 shares worth approximately $74.47 million.
• Merck & Co., Inc. reported a $2.13 EPS for the last quarter, exceeding analysts' expectations, and has set its fiscal year 2025 guidance at 8.870-8.970 EPS.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.81 per share, representing an annual yield of 4.0%, to be paid on October 7th to shareholders on record as of September 15th.

Mn Services Vermogensbeheer B.V. boosted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 0.8% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 940,699 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 7,500 shares during the period. Mn Services Vermogensbeheer B.V.'s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $74,466,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the first quarter worth approximately $27,000. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC grew its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 141.7% during the 1st quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 377 shares of the company's stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 221 shares during the last quarter. MorganRosel Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 1st quarter worth about $36,000. Mpwm Advisory Solutions LLC bought a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter valued at about $45,000. Finally, Fiduciary Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 1st quarter valued at about $48,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 0.1%

Shares of MRK traded down $0.12 during trading on Friday, reaching $81.41. The company's stock had a trading volume of 25,594,757 shares, compared to its average volume of 15,066,499. The company has a market cap of $203.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.54, a P/E/G ratio of 0.83 and a beta of 0.37. The company has a fifty day moving average of $82.83 and a two-hundred day moving average of $82.57. The company has a quick ratio of 1.17, a current ratio of 1.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. Merck & Co., Inc. has a twelve month low of $73.31 and a twelve month high of $118.16.

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 (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.03 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $15.81 billion for 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, sell-side analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 7th. Investors of record on Monday, September 15th will be paid a $0.81 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 15th. This represents a $3.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.0%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio is presently 49.92%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MRK has been the topic of a number of research reports. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $99.00 to $98.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 10th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $97.00 to $90.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 30th. Finally, Berenberg Bank cut Merck & Co., Inc. from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and cut their price target for the stock from $100.00 to $90.00 in a report on Wednesday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $106.41.

Merck & Co., Inc. Company 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.