Merit Medical Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:MMSI) Given Average Rating of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Merit Medical Systems has an average analyst rating of "Moderate Buy" from 11 brokerages, with eight buy ratings, two holds, and one sell; the average 12-month price target is $92.80.
• The company reported better-than-expected quarterly results, posting EPS of $0.94 versus the $0.84 estimate and revenue of $381.88 million, up 7.4% year over year.
• Shares were up 3.0% in Friday trading, while insider activity was mixed: one insider bought shares and a director sold shares; institutional investors continue to own 99.66% of the stock.

Shares of Merit Medical Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:MMSI - Get Free Report) have received an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the eleven brokerages that are covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $92.80.

MMSI has been the topic of a number of research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on Merit Medical Systems from $95.00 to $77.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 1st. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on Merit Medical Systems from $78.00 to $74.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 1st. Barrington Research decreased their price objective on Merit Medical Systems from $109.00 to $107.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 20th. Weiss Ratings lowered Merit Medical Systems from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a report on Friday, May 8th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered Merit Medical Systems from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Sunday, April 5th.

Merit Medical Systems Trading Up 3.0%

Shares of MMSI stock opened at $67.22 on Friday. The stock's fifty day moving average is $65.49 and its two-hundred day moving average is $74.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 3.46 and a current ratio of 5.08. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.10, a PEG ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.54. Merit Medical Systems has a fifty-two week low of $59.74 and a fifty-two week high of $96.74.

Merit Medical Systems (NASDAQ:MMSI - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.94 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.84 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $381.88 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $377.59 million. Merit Medical Systems had a return on equity of 13.54% and a net margin of 9.03%.The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.86 EPS. Merit Medical Systems has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.010-4.150 EPS. Research analysts expect that Merit Medical Systems will post 3.62 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Merit Medical Systems

In related news, insider Brian G. Lloyd purchased 2,000 shares of Merit Medical Systems stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 7th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $62.62 per share, for a total transaction of $125,240.00. Following the acquisition, the insider directly owned 2,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $125,240. The trade was a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Lynne N. Ward sold 5,000 shares of Merit Medical Systems stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $62.61, for a total value of $313,050.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 7,809 shares in the company, valued at approximately $488,921.49. This represents a 39.04% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.70% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL purchased a new position in shares of Merit Medical Systems during the 3rd quarter worth $2,913,050,000. State Street Corp raised its holdings in shares of Merit Medical Systems by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,231,048 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $196,645,000 after acquiring an additional 32,459 shares during the period. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Merit Medical Systems by 3.9% during the 1st quarter. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC now owns 2,167,513 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $149,407,000 after acquiring an additional 81,030 shares during the period. Fuller & Thaler Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Merit Medical Systems by 12.7% during the 4th quarter. Fuller & Thaler Asset Management Inc. now owns 2,077,796 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $183,137,000 after acquiring an additional 234,682 shares during the period. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP raised its holdings in shares of Merit Medical Systems by 7.0% during the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 1,327,013 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $116,963,000 after acquiring an additional 86,504 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.66% of the company's stock.

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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