UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC Sells 810,281 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• UBS Asset Management Americas LLC reduced its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.8%, selling 810,281 shares, while still holding approximately 20.74 million shares valued at around $1.86 billion.
• Merck's stock recently opened at $84.11, with a market capitalization of $210.10 billion and a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.96.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.81 per share, with a dividend yield of 3.9% and a payout ratio of 49.92%.

UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lowered its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 3.8% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 20,737,477 shares of the company's stock after selling 810,281 shares during the quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC owned approximately 0.83% of Merck & Co., Inc. worth $1,861,396,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the first quarter valued at about $27,000. MorganRosel Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the first quarter valued at about $36,000. Spurstone Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter worth about $37,000. Minot DeBlois Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter worth about $45,000. Finally, Mpwm Advisory Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter worth about $45,000. 76.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 0.7%

MRK stock 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 company's 50 day moving average is $82.72 and its 200 day moving average is $82.93. The stock has a market cap of $210.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.87 and a beta of 0.37. 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 data on Tuesday, July 29th. The company reported $2.13 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.03 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $15.81 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations 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. Sell-side analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The business 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 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.9%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio is 49.92%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on MRK shares. Citigroup reissued a "neutral" rating and issued a $84.00 price target (down from $115.00) on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Wednesday, May 14th. Cantor Fitzgerald downgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from an "overweight" rating to a "cautious" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 20th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on shares of 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. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $97.00 to $90.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 30th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $107.44.

Merck & Co., Inc. Company 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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