Scientech Research LLC Takes Position in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Scientech Research LLC acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc., purchasing 8,844 shares valued at approximately $794,000 during the first quarter of the year.
• Merck's recent earnings report revealed $2.13 EPS for the quarter, exceeding the consensus estimate of $2.03, with a total revenue of $15.81 billion.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.81 per share, providing a dividend yield of around 3.9%, scheduled for payment on October 7th.

Scientech Research LLC bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 8,844 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $794,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the first quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Spurstone Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter worth approximately $37,000. MorganRosel Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the first quarter worth approximately $36,000. Minot DeBlois Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter worth approximately $45,000. Finally, Mpwm Advisory Solutions LLC bought a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter worth approximately $45,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MRK has been the topic of several recent research reports. Cantor Fitzgerald cut shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from an "overweight" rating to a "cautious" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 20th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $99.00 to $98.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 10th. Citigroup restated a "neutral" rating and issued a $84.00 price target (down previously from $115.00) on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, May 14th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $97.00 to $90.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 30th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $107.44.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

NYSE MRK opened at $84.11 on Tuesday. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $210.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.96, a P/E/G ratio of 0.87 and a beta of 0.37. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $82.72 and its 200 day simple moving average is $82.93. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1 year low of $73.31 and a 1 year high of $119.38.

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

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 7th. Investors of record on Monday, September 15th will be given a dividend of $0.81 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 15th. This represents a $3.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.9%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 49.92%.

Merck & Co., Inc. Profile

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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