Moran Wealth Management LLC Has $26.50 Million Stock Position in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Moran Wealth Management LLC reduced its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 7.0% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 220,292 shares of the company’s stock after selling 16,677 shares during the period. Merck & Co., Inc. comprises approximately 0.8% of Moran Wealth Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 17th largest position. Moran Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $26,499,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Kingdom Financial Group LLC. purchased a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Abound Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Prosperity Bancshares Inc purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. United Financial Planning Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the third quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, High Note Wealth LLC boosted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 58.9% in the fourth quarter. High Note Wealth LLC now owns 294 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 109 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Bank of America lifted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $141.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday. Citigroup started coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $125.00 price objective for the company. Weiss Ratings cut Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note 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 research note on Monday, March 30th. Finally, Scotiabank upped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $136.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a “sector outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $131.83.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

MRK stock opened at $129.34 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $117.37 and a two-hundred day moving average of $115.36. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12 month low of $76.66 and a 12 month high of $130.29. The company has a market capitalization of $319.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.43, a P/E/G 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. (NYSE:MRK) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 the consensus estimate of $15.85 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.22 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc.’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.19 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The firm 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. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio is presently 95.77%.

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.