Vestor Capital LLC Has $26.60 Million Holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Vestor Capital dramatically increased its Merck stake by 31,998.4% in the first quarter, ending with 221,158 shares valued at $26.6 million. Institutional investors collectively own 76.07% of MRK.
• Analysts maintain a favorable outlook, with 13 Buy ratings and seven Holds producing a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $134.50.
• Merck reported quarterly revenue of $16.29 billion, ahead of estimates, and declared a quarterly dividend of $0.85 per share, equivalent to a $3.40 annualized payout and roughly a 2.6% yield.

Vestor Capital LLC increased its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 31,998.4% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 221,158 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 220,469 shares during the quarter. Merck & Co., Inc. comprises about 1.9% of Vestor Capital LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 17th largest holding. Vestor Capital LLC's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $26,603,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of MRK. Brighton Jones LLC grew its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 29.5% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 38,278 shares of the company's stock worth $3,808,000 after purchasing an additional 8,710 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC lifted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 52.2% during the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 11,494 shares of the company's stock worth $910,000 after purchasing an additional 3,941 shares during the period. Diversify Advisory Services LLC lifted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 94.1% during the second quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC now owns 32,256 shares of the company's stock worth $2,590,000 after purchasing an additional 15,636 shares during the period. Diversify Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 22.2% during the second quarter. Diversify Wealth Management LLC now owns 38,031 shares of the company's stock worth $3,054,000 after buying an additional 6,897 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 111.7% during the second quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 681,128 shares of the company's stock worth $53,918,000 after buying an additional 359,356 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MRK has been the subject of several analyst reports. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $112.00 to $113.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $135.00 to $142.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Citigroup started coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $125.00 target price for the company. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $142.00 target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $134.50.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Down 0.3%

Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $129.95 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $320.96 billion, a PE ratio of 36.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.17 and a beta of 0.19. The company has a current ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02. The firm's 50 day moving average is $123.02 and its 200 day moving average is $118.37. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1 year low of $77.53 and a 1 year high of $135.05.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($1.47) by $0.19. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 13.59% and a return on equity of 27.55%. The business had revenue of $16.29 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.85 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.22 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.74 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 Wednesday, October 7th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be paid a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio is presently 95.77%.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Merck & Co., Inc. this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Barclays raised its price target on Merck from $140 to $150 and maintained an “overweight” rating, implying meaningful potential upside from recent trading levels. Barclays raises Merck price target
• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group modestly increased its fiscal 2027 EPS forecast to $9.54 from $9.52, signaling slightly stronger expectations for Merck’s longer-term earnings power. Erste Group raises Merck EPS estimate
• Positive Sentiment: Merck declared a quarterly dividend of $0.85 per share, payable October 7 to shareholders of record September 15. The dividend supports the stock’s income appeal and represents an annualized yield of approximately 2.7%. Merck announces fourth-quarter dividend
• Positive Sentiment: A Merck-Wellcome joint venture is preparing doses of an experimental Ebola vaccine for clinical trials, providing a potential public-health and pipeline opportunity, although it is not an immediate earnings driver. Merck and Wellcome Ebola vaccine partnership
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts expect second-quarter revenue of about $16.33 billion and a loss of $0.26 per share, with acquisition-related costs, Keytruda performance, and Gardasil demand likely to determine whether results beat or miss expectations. Merck second-quarter earnings preview
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation analysis finds Merck attractive on discounted cash flow and cash-flow measures but more fairly valued based on earnings, suggesting further gains will require continued fundamental execution. Merck valuation analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Near-term uncertainty ahead of earnings—including acquisition costs and ongoing Gardasil challenges—may be weighing on sentiment despite expected strength from Keytruda. Merck earnings metrics preview

Merck & Co., Inc. 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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MRK? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.