Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. Sells 9,584 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. lowered its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 4.2% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 215,997 shares of the company’s stock after selling 9,584 shares during the quarter. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc.’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $22,736,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. United Financial Planning Group LLC bought a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the third quarter worth $31,000. High Note Wealth LLC increased 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 acquiring an additional 109 shares during the period. Tucker Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter valued at $34,000. Wealth Watch Advisors INC bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 3rd quarter valued at $34,000. Finally, Dunhill Financial LLC increased its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 83.0% in the 3rd quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 419 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 190 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Up 1.5%

MRK opened at $114.23 on Wednesday. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $115.90 and its 200-day simple moving average is $109.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a current ratio of 1.30. Merck & Co., Inc. has a twelve month low of $75.40 and a twelve month high of $125.14. The firm has a market cap of $282.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.18, a PEG ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 0.18.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($1.47) by $0.19. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 13.59% and a return on equity of 27.55%. The business had revenue of $16.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.85 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.22 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.16 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, April 6th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $145.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 1st. TD Cowen boosted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $100.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $128.18.

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.