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Virtu Financial LLC Boosts Stake in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK)

Merck & Co., Inc. logo with Medical background

Key Points

  • Virtu Financial LLC increased its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 778.6%, holding 41,179 shares valued at approximately $3.7 million after acquiring an additional 36,492 shares in the first quarter.
  • Merck's stock underwent various analyst rating changes, with Wall Street Zen lowering its rating from "strong-buy" to "buy," while Citigroup cut its price target from $115 to $84.
  • The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.81 per share, providing investors with an annualized yield of 4.0%, with the ex-dividend date set for September 15th.
  • Need better tools to track Merck & Co., Inc.? Try 5 Weeks of MarketBeat All Access for $5. Start Portfolio Tracking Now.

Virtu Financial LLC increased its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 778.6% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 41,179 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 36,492 shares during the quarter. Virtu Financial LLC's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $3,696,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of MRK. Barnes Dennig Private Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the first quarter worth about $27,000. Spurstone Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $37,000. MorganRosel Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the first quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Marshall & Sterling Wealth Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $44,000. Finally, Minot DeBlois Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $45,000. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Up 2.5%

Shares of NYSE MRK traded up $1.97 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $82.27. 892,059 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 15,518,546. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $80.88 and a 200 day simple moving average of $83.72. The stock has a market capitalization of $205.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.69, a PEG ratio of 0.84 and a beta of 0.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 1.17 and a current ratio of 1.42. Merck & Co., Inc. has a twelve month low of $73.31 and a twelve month high of $120.30.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 29th. The company reported $2.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.03 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $15.81 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.92 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 25.79% and a return on equity of 41.05%. As a group, equities analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 earnings per share for the current 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 dividend of $0.81 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 15th. This represents a $3.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.9%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 49.92%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on MRK shares. Citigroup reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $84.00 price objective (down from $115.00) on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Wednesday, May 14th. Guggenheim reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $115.00 price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Thursday, April 17th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, April 25th. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $99.00 to $98.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 10th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $97.00 to $90.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 30th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have given a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $107.44.

Read Our Latest Research Report on MRK

Merck & Co., Inc. Profile

(Free Report)

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.

See Also

Institutional Ownership by Quarter for Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK)

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