Trexquant Investment LP Has $37.34 Million Stock Position in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Trexquant Investment LP boosted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by a staggering 1,314.5%, now holding approximately 415,961 shares worth around $37.3 million.
• Merck & Co., Inc. reported earnings per share (EPS) of $2.13 for the last quarter, exceeding analysts' expectations of $2.03.
• The company recently announced a quarterly dividend of $0.81 per share, indicating a 3.8% yield with a payout ratio of approximately 49.92%.

Trexquant Investment LP grew its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 1,314.5% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 415,961 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 386,555 shares during the period. Merck & Co., Inc. makes up 0.4% of Trexquant Investment LP's investment portfolio, making the stock its 21st biggest holding. Trexquant Investment LP's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $37,337,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the first quarter worth about $27,000. Spurstone Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter worth about $37,000. MorganRosel Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the first quarter worth about $36,000. Minot DeBlois Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter worth about $45,000. Finally, Mpwm Advisory Solutions LLC acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter worth about $45,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock traded up $0.92 during trading on Monday, reaching $84.13. The company's stock had a trading volume of 10,870,371 shares, compared to its average volume of 10,934,819. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $82.14 and a two-hundred day moving average price 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. Merck & Co., Inc. has a one year low of $73.31 and a one year high of $120.30. The stock has a market capitalization of $210.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.89 and a beta of 0.37.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly 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 return on equity of 41.05% and a net margin of 25.79%.The business 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 company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 7th. Investors of record on Monday, September 15th will be given a $0.81 dividend. This represents a $3.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.9%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 49.92%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently issued reports on MRK shares. Citigroup reissued 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. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $97.00 to $90.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 30th. Cantor Fitzgerald lowered shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from an "overweight" rating to a "cautious" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 20th. Finally, Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $99.00 to $98.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 10th. One investment 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 assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $107.44.

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.