Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. decreased its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK – Free Report) by 9.5% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 470,498 shares of the company’s stock after selling 49,391 shares during the period. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A.’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $49,560,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.
Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. D.A. Davidson & CO. increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 4.4% during the 4th quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 576,959 shares of the company’s stock worth $60,731,000 after purchasing an additional 24,576 shares in the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 48.9% during the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 97,818 shares of the company’s stock worth $10,296,000 after buying an additional 32,114 shares during the last quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 12.7% during the third quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 123,366 shares of the company’s stock worth $10,364,000 after buying an additional 13,940 shares in the last quarter. Campbell Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the third quarter worth approximately $1,866,000. Finally, Norris Perne & French LLP MI raised its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 12.8% in the fourth quarter. Norris Perne & French LLP MI now owns 252,162 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,543,000 after acquiring an additional 28,635 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company’s stock.
Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance
MRK stock opened at $115.67 on Thursday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $116.22 and a 200 day moving average price of $113.53. Merck & Co., Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $76.66 and a fifty-two week high of $125.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.30 and a quick ratio of 1.06. The stock has a market capitalization of $285.69 billion, a PE ratio of 32.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 0.21.
Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend
The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Investors of record on Monday, June 15th will be given a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.9%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 95.77%.
Analyst Ratings Changes
A number of research firms recently weighed in on MRK. Wall Street Zen raised Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, June 6th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $145.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, April 6th. 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 report on Monday, April 13th. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $128.18.
Get Our Latest Stock Report on Merck & Co., Inc.
Merck & Co., Inc. Company 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.
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