Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Announces Quarterly Earnings Results

Key Points

• Merck & Co., Inc. reported $2.13 EPS for the quarter, exceeding analysts' expectations by $0.10.
• The company updated its FY 2025 guidance to an EPS range of 8.870-8.970.
• Merck declared a quarterly dividend of $0.81 per share with a yield of 4.12%, scheduled for payment on October 7th.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday. The company reported $2.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.03 by $0.10, Zacks reports. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 25.79% and a return on equity of 41.63%. The company had revenue of $15.81 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.92 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. updated its FY 2025 guidance to 8.870-8.970 EPS.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Down 0.9%

Shares of NYSE MRK traded down $0.72 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $81.91. 12,849,558 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 12,059,906. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1 year low of $73.31 and a 1 year high of $120.30. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $80.37 and a 200-day moving average price of $84.96. The firm has a market capitalization of $205.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.62, a P/E/G ratio of 0.84 and a beta of 0.39. The company has a quick ratio of 1.16, a current ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 7th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.81 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 15th. This represents a $3.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.96%. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio is presently 47.16%.

Institutional Trading of Merck & Co., Inc.

A hedge fund recently raised its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. stock. Brighton Jones LLC grew its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 29.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 38,278 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 8,710 shares during the quarter. Brighton Jones LLC's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $3,808,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Institutional investors own 76.07% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MRK has been the subject of several recent research reports. Cantor Fitzgerald downgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from an "overweight" rating to a "cautious" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 20th. 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. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $99.00 to $98.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, July 10th. Guggenheim reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $115.00 price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Thursday, April 17th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut Merck & Co., Inc. from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, April 25th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have given a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $107.44.

About Merck & Co., Inc.

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.