NewEdge Wealth LLC Sells 21,995 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• NewEdge Wealth LLC reduced its Merck stake by 24.8% in the first quarter, selling 21,995 shares and leaving it with 66,602 shares valued at about $8.0 million.
• Merck reported quarterly earnings that beat Wall Street estimates, posting an EPS loss of $1.28 versus expectations of a $1.47 loss, while revenue of $16.29 billion also came in above forecasts.
• The stock has been trading near its highs, with shares up 2.4% to $130.57 and a 52-week range of $76.66 to $131.74; analysts currently rate it Moderate Buy with a consensus target price of $133.94.

NewEdge Wealth LLC decreased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 24.8% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 66,602 shares of the company's stock after selling 21,995 shares during the quarter. NewEdge Wealth LLC's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $8,012,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. boosted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 1.9% in the 1st quarter. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. now owns 63,208 shares of the company's stock worth $7,603,000 after purchasing an additional 1,163 shares during the period. CI Investments Inc. grew its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 24.5% during the 1st quarter. CI Investments Inc. now owns 1,237,783 shares of the company's stock valued at $148,893,000 after buying an additional 243,661 shares in the last quarter. Saturna Capital Corp raised its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 11.6% during the first quarter. Saturna Capital Corp now owns 157,451 shares of the company's stock valued at $18,940,000 after buying an additional 16,425 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Capital Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.3% during the first quarter. Millennium Capital Advisors LLC now owns 4,450 shares of the company's stock valued at $535,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Chase Investment Counsel Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 30.5% in the first quarter. Chase Investment Counsel Corp now owns 6,224 shares of the company's stock worth $748,000 after buying an additional 1,456 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Up 2.4%

NYSE MRK opened at $130.57 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $121.27 and a 200-day moving average price of $117.62. Merck & Co., Inc. has a one year low of $76.66 and a one year high of $131.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a current ratio of 1.30. The company has a market capitalization of $322.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.78, a P/E/G ratio of 5.08 and a beta of 0.19.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($1.47) by $0.19. The company had revenue of $16.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $15.85 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 13.59% and a return on equity of 27.55%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s quarterly revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.22 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.74 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th were issued a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.6%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s payout ratio is 95.77%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Cantor Fitzgerald restated a "neutral" rating and set a $120.00 target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $141.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $112.00 to $113.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Scotiabank increased their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $136.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a "sector outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Finally, Guggenheim raised their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $133.94.

Merck & Co., Inc. Company Profile

Merck & Co, Inc is a global biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery, development, manufacture and marketing of prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies and animal health products. Its portfolio spans multiple therapeutic areas with a particular emphasis on oncology, vaccines and infectious disease, as well as therapies for metabolic and chronic conditions. Among its well-known products are the cancer immunotherapy Keytruda (pembrolizumab) and the human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil; the company also markets a range of medicines and vaccines for veterinary use through Merck Animal Health.

Founded in the late 19th century as the U.S.

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