Heritage Trust Co boosted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK – Free Report) by 4.2% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 84,905 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 3,445 shares during the quarter. Merck & Co., Inc. accounts for approximately 0.9% of Heritage Trust Co’s portfolio, making the stock its 25th largest holding. Heritage Trust Co’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $10,910,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Kingdom Financial Group LLC. acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Abound Financial LLC acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Prosperity Bancshares Inc purchased a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. High Note Wealth LLC boosted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 58.9% during the fourth quarter. High Note Wealth LLC now owns 294 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 109 shares in the last quarter. Finally, IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. acquired a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter valued at $31,000. 76.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Insider Activity
In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, EVP Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $135.00, for a total value of $1,350,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 36,613 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,942,755. The trade was a 21.45% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP David R. Maraldo sold 18,706 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were 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 of the company’s stock, valued at $2,344,248.64. This trade represents a 50.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 228,238 shares of company stock valued at $29,977,783 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
Read Our Latest Research Report on Merck & Co., Inc.
Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Down 1.2%
Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $150.67 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $128.81 and a 200 day moving average price of $121.53. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52 week low of $77.58 and a 52 week high of $154.49. The stock has a market cap of $371.73 billion, a PE ratio of 120.54, a P/E/G ratio of 6.40 and a beta of 0.19. The company has a current ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22.
Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.26) by $0.13. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 4.77% and a return on equity of 16.73%. The company had revenue of $16.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.37 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.13 EPS. The firm’s quarterly 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. Equities research analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.76 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend
The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.85 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio is presently 272.00%.
About Merck & Co., Inc.
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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