QRG Capital Management Inc. increased its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK – Free Report) by 19.0% in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 499,732 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 79,823 shares during the quarter. Merck & Co., Inc. makes up about 0.6% of QRG Capital Management Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 25th largest position. QRG Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $60,113,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Chesapeake Wealth Management boosted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. Chesapeake Wealth Management now owns 14,740 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,552,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares during the period. South Plains Financial Inc. increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.6% during the fourth quarter. South Plains Financial Inc. now owns 15,535 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,635,000 after buying an additional 89 shares during the period. Syverson Strege & Co increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.2% during the fourth quarter. Syverson Strege & Co now owns 4,142 shares of the company’s stock valued at $436,000 after buying an additional 90 shares during the period. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.4% during the first quarter. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV now owns 23,433 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,819,000 after buying an additional 91 shares during the period. Finally, Westside Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.1% in the fourth quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,142 shares of the company’s stock worth $331,000 after buying an additional 93 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 $129.34 on Friday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $117.37 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $115.36. Merck & Co., Inc. has a twelve month low of $76.66 and a twelve month high of $130.29. The stock has a market cap of $319.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.43, a PEG ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.19. The company has a quick ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02.
Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement
The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 15th will be given a dividend of $0.85 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 15th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s payout ratio is presently 95.77%.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
A number of equities analysts have recently commented on MRK shares. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $142.00 target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Monday, March 30th. Citigroup began coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $125.00 target price on the stock. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, April 13th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $131.83.
Merck & Co., Inc. 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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