Karras Company Inc. Invests $1.02 Million in Merit Medical Systems, Inc. $MMSI

Karras Company Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Merit Medical Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:MMSI) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 11,525 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock, valued at approximately $1,016,000. Merit Medical Systems accounts for approximately 1.0% of Karras Company Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 28th biggest holding.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Blue Trust Inc. grew its stake in shares of Merit Medical Systems by 11.0% during the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,853 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $163,000 after acquiring an additional 184 shares during the period. First Horizon Corp lifted its holdings in Merit Medical Systems by 19.7% during the 4th quarter. First Horizon Corp now owns 1,117 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $98,000 after purchasing an additional 184 shares in the last quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co lifted its holdings in Merit Medical Systems by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co now owns 50,667 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $4,095,000 after purchasing an additional 189 shares in the last quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund lifted its holdings in Merit Medical Systems by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 13,562 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $1,195,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Arizona State Retirement System lifted its holdings in Merit Medical Systems by 1.4% during the 3rd quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 17,477 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $1,455,000 after purchasing an additional 246 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 99.66% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently issued reports on MMSI shares. Robert W. Baird set a $83.00 price objective on Merit Medical Systems in a report on Friday, May 1st. Weiss Ratings cut Merit Medical Systems from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Friday, May 8th. BTIG Research started coverage on Merit Medical Systems in a report on Friday, February 6th. They set a “buy” rating and a $107.00 price objective on the stock. Piper Sandler dropped their price objective on Merit Medical Systems from $106.00 to $96.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 17th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on Merit Medical Systems from $78.00 to $74.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 1st. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Merit Medical Systems presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $92.80.

Merit Medical Systems Stock Performance

NASDAQ:MMSI opened at $64.17 on Friday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $66.86 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $77.79. Merit Medical Systems, Inc. has a twelve month low of $59.74 and a twelve month high of $97.18. The stock has a market cap of $3.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.78, a PEG ratio of 1.98 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a quick ratio of 3.46, a current ratio of 5.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45.

Merit Medical Systems (NASDAQ:MMSI) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.94 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.84 by $0.10. Merit Medical Systems had a return on equity of 13.54% and a net margin of 9.03%.The firm had revenue of $381.88 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $377.59 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.86 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Merit Medical Systems has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.010-4.150 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Merit Medical Systems, Inc. will post 3.61 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other Merit Medical Systems news, insider Brian G. Lloyd purchased 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 7th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $62.62 per share, with a total value of $125,240.00. Following the acquisition, the insider directly owned 2,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $125,240. The trade was a ∞ increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Lynne N. Ward sold 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $62.61, for a total value of $313,050.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 7,809 shares in the company, valued at approximately $488,921.49. The trade was a 39.04% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Company insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

Merit Medical Systems Company Profile

Merit Medical Systems, Inc is a global manufacturer and marketer of a broad range of medical devices used in diagnostic and interventional procedures. The company’s product portfolio encompasses vascular access, drainage, embolotherapy, and interventional oncology devices, as well as radiofrequency ablation systems and hemostasis solutions. These products serve physicians and hospitals in critical care settings and support minimally invasive treatment options across multiple specialties, including cardiology, radiology, oncology, neurology and endoscopy.

Founded in 1987 by Fred Lampropoulos, Merit Medical Systems has grown through both organic development and targeted acquisitions to expand its technology offerings and geographic reach.