Handelsbanken Fonder AB grew its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK – Free Report) by 5.1% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,959,794 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 95,489 shares during the period. Merck & Co., Inc. comprises approximately 0.7% of Handelsbanken Fonder AB’s holdings, making the stock its 24th largest position. Handelsbanken Fonder AB owned about 0.08% of Merck & Co., Inc. worth $251,834,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. City Holding Co. raised its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 1.0% in the second quarter. City Holding Co. now owns 11,085 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,424,000 after buying an additional 109 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Trust Co grew its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 4.2% during the 2nd quarter. Charles Schwab Trust Co now owns 8,250 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,060,000 after acquiring an additional 330 shares during the period. Salvus Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 11.0% during the 2nd quarter. Salvus Wealth Management LLC now owns 5,037 shares of the company’s stock valued at $647,000 after acquiring an additional 500 shares during the period. Spinnaker Investment Group LLC increased its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 21.2% in the 2nd quarter. Spinnaker Investment Group LLC now owns 2,671 shares of the company’s stock worth $343,000 after acquiring an additional 468 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Perkins Coie Trust Co increased its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 10.1% in the 2nd quarter. Perkins Coie Trust Co now owns 3,270 shares of the company’s stock worth $420,000 after acquiring an additional 300 shares in the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance
NYSE:MRK opened at $130.72 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $322.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 104.58, a PEG ratio of 5.56 and a beta of 0.19. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1 year low of $77.58 and a 1 year high of $135.05. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $124.29 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $119.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.30 and a quick ratio of 1.06.
Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement
The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be issued a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.6%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 272.00%.
Insider Buying and Selling at Merck & Co., Inc.
In related news, EVP David R. Maraldo sold 18,706 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $128.72, for a total value of $2,407,836.32. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 18,212 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,344,248.64. This trade represents a 50.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP David Michael Williams sold 52,847 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $128.77, for a total value of $6,805,108.19. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 31,716 shares in the company, valued at $4,084,069.32. The trade was a 62.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 92,603 shares of company stock worth $11,966,744 in the last 90 days. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.
Analyst Ratings Changes
A number of equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Citigroup initiated coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $125.00 price objective for the company. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective 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. Finally, Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Merck & Co., Inc. has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $134.56.
Read Our Latest Analysis 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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