Vanguard Group Inc. Reduces Stock Holdings in Merit Medical Systems, Inc. $MMSI

Key Points

• Vanguard Group trimmed its position in Merit Medical Systems by 2.7% in Q3 to 6,643,438 shares (about 11.2% ownership), a stake valued at roughly $552.9 million, while institutional investors hold about 99.66% of the stock.
• Q4 beat and raised guidance: Merit reported EPS of $1.04 vs. $0.96 and revenue of $393.9M vs. $390.8M, and management lifted FY2026 EPS guidance to $4.01–4.15 (vs. prior ~$3.73), which the report cites as the main catalyst for the stock.
• Analyst backdrop: Nine analysts rate the stock Buy and two rate it Hold with an average price target of $105.67, though some firms have trimmed targets; the shares trade near $82.43, below a 52‑week high of $107.27.

Vanguard Group Inc. reduced its position in Merit Medical Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:MMSI - Free Report) by 2.7% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 6,643,438 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 185,798 shares during the quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. owned approximately 11.20% of Merit Medical Systems worth $552,933,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. State Street Corp raised its stake in Merit Medical Systems by 1.1% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,218,432 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $207,379,000 after acquiring an additional 24,569 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Merit Medical Systems by 2.8% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,437,397 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $134,384,000 after buying an additional 39,620 shares in the last quarter. Maverick Capital Ltd. boosted its holdings in Merit Medical Systems by 8.4% in the 2nd quarter. Maverick Capital Ltd. now owns 1,379,408 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $128,947,000 after buying an additional 106,897 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its stake in Merit Medical Systems by 7.6% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 917,122 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $76,332,000 after buying an additional 64,920 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. raised its holdings in Merit Medical Systems by 25.9% during the 2nd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 884,607 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $82,693,000 after acquiring an additional 181,815 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 99.66% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Zacks Research cut Merit Medical Systems from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 18th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Merit Medical Systems in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Canaccord Genuity Group raised their price target on shares of Merit Medical Systems from $93.00 to $99.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. Piper Sandler lowered their price objective on Merit Medical Systems from $113.00 to $106.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of Merit Medical Systems from $103.00 to $95.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, November 14th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $105.67.

Merit Medical Systems Trading Up 1.0%

Shares of MMSI opened at $82.43 on Wednesday. Merit Medical Systems, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $77.62 and a fifty-two week high of $107.27. The firm has a market cap of $4.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 42.27, a PEG ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 0.61. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $84.08 and a 200-day moving average price of $84.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a quick ratio of 2.86 and a current ratio of 4.28.

More Merit Medical Systems News

Here are the key news stories impacting Merit Medical Systems this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat — EPS of $1.04 vs. consensus $0.96 and revenue of $393.9M vs. $390.8M; revenue grew ~10.9% year-over-year, with reported net margin ~8% and ROE ~14%. These metrics point to demand recovery and margin improvement. Merit Medical Systems Earnings Report
• Positive Sentiment: Upside FY2026 guidance — management raised full‑year EPS to $4.010–4.150 versus the prior consensus (~$3.73), implying stronger margin expansion and earnings growth for 2026. This is the main catalyst supporting the stock’s move higher. Q4 2025 Earnings Call Highlights
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/press coverage detailing quarter and metrics — third‑party writeups (Zacks) confirm the beat and walk through key metric comparisons to estimates and prior year results; useful for due diligence but largely reiterative of company numbers. Merit Medical (MMSI) Q4 Earnings and Revenues Top Estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Local/summary coverage — CT Post and other outlets published earnings snapshots summarizing the results and call; useful for quick read but unlikely to move the stock beyond the company-provided figures. Merit Medical: Q4 Earnings Snapshot
• Negative Sentiment: Price target trimmed — Needham’s Michael Matson kept a Buy rating but lowered the price target to $101, which signals more conservative near-term upside expectations despite the favorable results. That trimmed PT could cap immediate analyst-driven upside. Merit Medical Systems: Strong Q4 Beat, Upbeat 2026 Outlook...

Merit Medical Systems Company Profile

Merit Medical Systems, Inc is a global manufacturer and marketer of a broad range of medical devices used in diagnostic and interventional procedures. The company's product portfolio encompasses vascular access, drainage, embolotherapy, and interventional oncology devices, as well as radiofrequency ablation systems and hemostasis solutions. These products serve physicians and hospitals in critical care settings and support minimally invasive treatment options across multiple specialties, including cardiology, radiology, oncology, neurology and endoscopy.

Founded in 1987 by Fred Lampropoulos, Merit Medical Systems has grown through both organic development and targeted acquisitions to expand its technology offerings and geographic reach.

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