Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Stock Holdings Increased by Intech Investment Management LLC

Intech Investment Management LLC lifted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 71.0% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,512,900 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 628,327 shares during the period. Merck & Co., Inc. comprises about 1.4% of Intech Investment Management LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 6th biggest holding. Intech Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $135,798,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MRK. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 29.5% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 38,278 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,808,000 after purchasing an additional 8,710 shares in the last quarter. American Assets Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter worth approximately $398,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 13.7% during the fourth quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 298,752 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,720,000 after acquiring an additional 36,085 shares during the last quarter. NDVR Inc. grew its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 6.6% in the 4th quarter. NDVR Inc. now owns 2,550 shares of the company’s stock valued at $254,000 after buying an additional 158 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Minot DeBlois Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter worth $45,000. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Up 0.7%

NYSE MRK opened at $84.71 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.42, a quick ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The company has a market capitalization of $211.59 billion, a PE ratio of 13.05, a P/E/G ratio of 0.86 and a beta of 0.37. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12 month low of $73.31 and a 12 month high of $119.38. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $82.78 and a 200 day simple moving average of $82.95.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 29th. The company reported $2.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.03 by $0.10. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 41.05% and a net margin of 25.79%.The company had revenue of $15.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $15.92 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2025 guidance at 8.870-8.970 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 7th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.81 per share. This represents a $3.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio is 49.92%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MRK has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $99.00 to $98.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 10th. Citigroup reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $84.00 price target (down previously from $115.00) on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, May 14th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $97.00 to $90.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 30th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald lowered Merck & Co., Inc. from an “overweight” rating to a “cautious” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $107.44.

About Merck & Co., Inc.

Merck & Co, Inc is a health care company, which engages in the provision of health solutions through its prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies, animal health, and consumer care products. It operates through the following segments: Pharmaceutical, Animal Health, and Other. The Pharmaceutical segment includes human health pharmaceutical and vaccine products.