Oakmont Investment Advisors Inc. Invests $3.10 Million in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Oakmont Investment Advisors acquired 24,110 Merck shares worth approximately $3.10 million, making MRK its sixth-largest holding at about 2.2% of its portfolio. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 76.07% of the stock.
• Analyst sentiment is favorable, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $148.60; several firms recently raised their targets to as high as $180.
• Merck reported quarterly revenue of $16.61 billion, exceeding estimates, while insiders sold roughly $30 million of stock over the past three months. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.85 per share, yielding approximately 2.3% annually.

Oakmont Investment Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 24,110 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,098,000. Merck & Co., Inc. makes up approximately 2.2% of Oakmont Investment Advisors Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 6th largest holding.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Round Rock Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.7% in the 2nd quarter. Round Rock Advisors LLC now owns 9,901 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,272,000 after acquiring an additional 66 shares during the period. Cascade Financial Partners LLC increased its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.5% in the 2nd quarter. Cascade Financial Partners LLC now owns 14,746 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,895,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares in the last quarter. Somerset Trust Co raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.9% in the second quarter. Somerset Trust Co now owns 8,701 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,118,000 after purchasing an additional 81 shares during the period. Stonebridge Financial Group LLC raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.9% in the second quarter. Stonebridge Financial Group LLC now owns 8,747 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,124,000 after purchasing an additional 81 shares during the period. Finally, Stronghold Wealth Management L.L.C. lifted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.6% during the second quarter. Stronghold Wealth Management L.L.C. now owns 3,237 shares of the company's stock worth $416,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MRK has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 22nd. BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $142.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 20th. Scotiabank lifted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $136.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a "sector outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. CICC Research initiated coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $138.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Wolfe Research lifted their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $155.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 25th. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $148.60.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 20,784 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $130.43, for a total value of $2,710,857.12. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 134,703 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $17,569,312.29. The trade was a 13.37% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Chirfi Guindo sold 15,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $131.00, for a total transaction of $1,965,000.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 46,613 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,106,303. This represents a 24.35% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 228,238 shares of company stock valued at $29,977,783 over the last three months. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of MRK stock opened at $150.37 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $134.64 and a two-hundred day moving average of $123.52. The firm has a market cap of $370.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 120.30, a P/E/G ratio of 6.63 and a beta of 0.21. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1-year low of $77.58 and a 1-year high of $156.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.32 and a quick ratio of 1.10.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.26) by $0.13. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 16.73% and a net margin of 4.77%.The business had revenue of $16.61 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.37 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.13 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.76 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 Wednesday, October 7th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.85 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 272.00%.

About Merck & Co., Inc.

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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