Perryman Financial Advisory Inc. AD Makes New Investment in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Perryman Financial Advisory opened a new position in Merck & Co. during the fourth quarter, buying 56,068 shares worth about $5.9 million.
• Institutional interest in Merck remains strong, with hedge funds and asset managers owning 76.07% of the stock and several firms increasing their stakes recently.
• Wall Street sentiment is broadly positive: analysts currently rate MRK a Moderate Buy, with a consensus price target of $128.18, while the stock traded around $119.05 and Merck also posted better-than-expected quarterly earnings and revenue.

Perryman Financial Advisory Inc. AD bought a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 56,068 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,902,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Palisade Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.4% during the 4th quarter. Palisade Asset Management LLC now owns 35,284 shares of the company's stock worth $3,714,000 after acquiring an additional 1,161 shares during the period. Piedmont Capital Management LLC NC acquired a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter worth $476,000. Resources Management Corp CT ADV grew its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 3,067.4% during the 4th quarter. Resources Management Corp CT ADV now owns 59,610 shares of the company's stock worth $6,275,000 after acquiring an additional 57,728 shares during the period. Seven Mile Advisory grew its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 12.2% in the 4th quarter. Seven Mile Advisory now owns 7,512 shares of the company's stock valued at $791,000 after buying an additional 817 shares during the period. Finally, Sargent Investment Group LLC grew its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. Sargent Investment Group LLC now owns 25,971 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,734,000 after buying an additional 153 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on MRK. Zacks Research raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased 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 boosted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, April 13th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Friday, May 15th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, April 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $128.18.

Key Stories Impacting Merck & Co., Inc.

Here are the key news stories impacting Merck & Co., Inc. this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Merck Animal Health announced a definitive agreement to acquire TARGAN, a poultry biodevice company, which could strengthen Merck’s animal health division and broaden its technology-driven growth opportunities. Merck Animal Health to Acquire TARGAN
• Positive Sentiment: Merck saw unusually heavy call option buying, with traders purchasing 170,441 calls, a sharp jump versus normal volume that often signals bullish expectations from sophisticated investors.
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo reiterated a buy rating on Merck, while another article highlighted that Wall Street’s overall bullish view continues to keep MRK on investors’ radar.
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck has also been featured in broader market commentary and “most searched” lists, suggesting rising attention rather than a new fundamental catalyst.
• Neutral Sentiment: One article noted Merck’s recent trading uptick but said it lagged the broader market, indicating modest price strength rather than a major breakout. Merck (MRK) Rises Yet Lags Behind Market: Some Facts Worth Knowing

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of MRK stock opened at $119.05 on Monday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12-month low of $76.66 and a 12-month high of $125.14. The firm has a market capitalization of $294.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 0.21. The company has a quick ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $116.55 and a 200-day moving average of $113.32.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($1.47) by $0.19. The business 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%. The firm's revenue was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.22 EPS. 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 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th will be given a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.'s payout ratio is currently 95.77%.

Merck & Co., Inc. 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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