Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK – Free Report) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report released on Sunday,Wall Street Zen reports.
Several other analysts also recently issued reports on MRK. CICC Research assumed coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $138.00 price target on the stock. HSBC raised their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $172.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, September 4th. Leerink Partners upped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $127.00 to $161.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 9th. Finally, Barclays increased their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Seventeen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $154.24.
Get Our Latest Report on Merck & Co., Inc.
Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 0.2%
Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.26) by $0.13. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 16.73% and a net margin of 4.77%.The business had revenue of $16.61 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.37 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.13 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. Analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.76 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement
The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.85 per share. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 272.00%.
Insider Buying and Selling at Merck & Co., Inc.
In related news, EVP Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $135.00, for a total transaction of $1,350,000.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 36,613 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,942,755. This trade represents a 21.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP David Williams sold 52,847 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $128.77, for a total transaction of $6,805,108.19. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 31,716 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,084,069.32. The trade was a 62.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 228,238 shares of company stock valued at $29,977,783. Corporate insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in MRK. Bullseye Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the second quarter worth about $27,000. Kingdom Financial Group LLC. purchased a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Abound Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Graney & King LLC increased its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 400.0% during the 2nd quarter. Graney & King LLC now owns 250 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Montgomery Financial Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 2nd quarter valued at about $41,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.07% of the company’s stock.
About Merck & Co., Inc.
Merck & Co, Inc is a global healthcare company that develops, manufactures, and markets prescription medicines, vaccines, and animal-health products. The company serves patients, healthcare providers, and customers in markets worldwide through its Human Health and Animal Health businesses.
Merck’s pharmaceutical portfolio includes oncology, infectious disease, cardiology, immunology, and other therapeutic areas. Its products include Keytruda, an immunotherapy used to treat various cancers; Gardasil, a vaccine that helps protect against human papillomavirus (HPV); and Januvia, a treatment for type 2 diabetes.
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