RNC Capital Management LLC Has $35.34 Million Position in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• RNC Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 36.7%, now holding 393,687 shares valued at approximately $35.34 million.
• Merck's recent earnings report showed a net margin of 25.79% and earnings per share (EPS) of $2.13, surpassing analysts' expectations.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.81, reflecting an annualized dividend yield of 3.8%, with a payout ratio of around 49.92%.

RNC Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 36.7% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 393,687 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 105,798 shares during the quarter. RNC Capital Management LLC's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $35,337,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in MRK. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the first quarter valued at about $27,000. MorganRosel Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the first quarter valued at about $36,000. Spurstone Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter valued at about $37,000. Minot DeBlois Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter valued at about $45,000. Finally, Mpwm Advisory Solutions LLC bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter valued at about $45,000. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

NYSE:MRK opened at $84.59 on Monday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1 year low of $73.31 and a 1 year high of $120.30. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $82.62 and a 200-day moving average of $82.97. The company has a current ratio of 1.42, a quick ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The stock has a market capitalization of $211.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.03, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.87 and a beta of 0.37.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 29th. The company reported $2.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.03 by $0.10. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 25.79% and a return on equity of 41.05%. The company had revenue of $15.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $15.92 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2025 guidance at 8.870-8.970 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 7th. Investors of record on Monday, September 15th will be issued 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 dividend yield of 3.8%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 49.92%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on MRK shares. Cantor Fitzgerald cut shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from an "overweight" rating to a "cautious" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 20th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective 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. Citigroup reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and set a $84.00 price objective (down from $115.00) on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Wednesday, May 14th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective 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. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $107.44.

About Merck & Co., Inc.

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.

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