Stephens Inc. AR Has $33.20 Million Stake in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Stephens Inc. AR cut its Merck stake by 20.2% in the first quarter, selling 69,234 shares and ending with 272,906 shares valued at about $33.2 million.
• Merck beat quarterly earnings expectations, posting adjusted EPS of -$1.28 versus consensus of -$1.47 and revenue of $16.29 billion, up 4.9% year over year.
• The company reaffirmed shareholder returns with a quarterly dividend of $0.85 per share, implying a 2.6% annual yield, while analysts’ overall view remains Moderate Buy with a consensus price target of $131.83.

Stephens Inc. AR reduced its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 20.2% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 272,906 shares of the company's stock after selling 69,234 shares during the quarter. Stephens Inc. AR's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $33,205,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. D.A. Davidson & CO. grew its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 4.4% in the 4th quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 576,959 shares of the company's stock valued at $60,731,000 after acquiring an additional 24,576 shares in the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 48.9% during the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 97,818 shares of the company's stock valued at $10,296,000 after purchasing an additional 32,114 shares during the last quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 12.7% in the third quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 123,366 shares of the company's stock valued at $10,364,000 after purchasing an additional 13,940 shares in the last quarter. Campbell Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $1,866,000. Finally, Norris Perne & French LLP MI raised its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 12.8% during the 4th quarter. Norris Perne & French LLP MI now owns 252,162 shares of the company's stock worth $26,543,000 after purchasing an additional 28,635 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE MRK opened at $129.34 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12 month low of $76.66 and a 12 month high of $130.29. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $117.37 and a 200-day moving average of $115.47. The company has a market capitalization of $319.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.43, a P/E/G ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.19.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($1.47) by $0.19. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 27.55% and a net margin of 13.59%.The business had revenue of $16.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.85 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.22 EPS. The firm's revenue 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. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.19 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be issued a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.'s payout ratio is currently 95.77%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on 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 target price 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. CICC Research initiated coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $138.00 price target on the stock. Citigroup started coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $125.00 price target for the company. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and set a $142.00 price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Monday, March 30th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $131.83.

Merck & Co., Inc. Company 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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