Oddo BHF Asset Management Sas Acquires 64,018 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Oddo BHF Asset Management Sas boosted its Merck stake by 165.2% in the fourth quarter, buying 64,018 additional shares and bringing its total holdings to 102,778 shares valued at about $10.8 million.
• Several other institutional investors also increased their Merck positions, and institutions now own 76.07% of the company’s stock.
• Analyst sentiment remains constructive, with Merck carrying a Moderate Buy consensus and an average price target of $128.18; the stock was also down 3.4% to $115.03 in Tuesday trading.

Oddo BHF Asset Management Sas increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 165.2% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 102,778 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 64,018 shares during the period. Oddo BHF Asset Management Sas' holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $10,818,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Chesapeake Wealth Management raised its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.6% during the fourth quarter. Chesapeake Wealth Management now owns 14,740 shares of the company's stock worth $1,552,000 after buying an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. South Plains Financial Inc. raised its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.6% during the fourth quarter. South Plains Financial Inc. now owns 15,535 shares of the company's stock worth $1,635,000 after buying an additional 89 shares during the last quarter. Syverson Strege & Co raised its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.2% during the fourth quarter. Syverson Strege & Co now owns 4,142 shares of the company's stock worth $436,000 after buying an additional 90 shares during the last quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.1% during the fourth quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,142 shares of the company's stock worth $331,000 after buying an additional 93 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Valued Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 26.9% during the fourth quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 444 shares of the company's stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 94 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on MRK. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, June 6th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $145.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 1st. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, April 13th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $128.18.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 3.4%

Shares of NYSE MRK opened at $115.03 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $284.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.40, a P/E/G ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 0.21. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $116.43 and a 200-day moving average price of $113.38. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1 year low of $76.66 and a 1 year high of $125.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.30 and a quick ratio of 1.06.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last released 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. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 13.59% and a return on equity of 27.55%. The business had revenue of $16.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $15.85 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.22 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.17 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.85 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.0%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s payout ratio is 95.77%.

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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