Scharf Investments LLC lessened its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK – Get Rating) by 39.4% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 7,973 shares of the company’s stock after selling 5,186 shares during the period. Scharf Investments LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $848,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of MRK. Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisor L.P boosted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 94.2% during the 1st quarter. Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisor L.P now owns 349,588 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,683,000 after purchasing an additional 169,536 shares during the period. BCK Partners Inc. acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 1st quarter valued at about $2,423,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 6.3% during the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 159,225 shares of the company’s stock valued at $13,064,000 after purchasing an additional 9,376 shares during the period. First Western Trust Bank acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 1st quarter valued at about $1,078,000. Finally, Equitable Holdings Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 12.9% in the 1st quarter. Equitable Holdings Inc. now owns 36,124 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,964,000 after acquiring an additional 4,131 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 76.60% of the company’s stock.
Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Up 0.8 %
MRK stock opened at $114.60 on Monday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52-week low of $84.52 and a 52-week high of $119.65. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $113.61 and its 200-day simple moving average is $110.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 1.44 and a quick ratio of 1.19. The firm has a market capitalization of $290.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.38, a P/E/G ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 0.35.
Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement
The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 15th will be paid a $0.73 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, June 14th. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.55%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio is presently 57.03%.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Societe Generale lowered shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 28th. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a “strong-buy” rating for the company. Guggenheim upped their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $123.00 to $124.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 11th. Atlantic Securities upped their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $122.00 to $127.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 7th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group upped their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $126.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 7th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, sixteen have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $120.75.
Insider Buying and Selling at Merck & Co., Inc.
In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, VP Rita A. Karachun sold 15,875 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $117.53, for a total value of $1,865,788.75. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 45,710 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,372,296.30. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In other news, VP Rita A. Karachun sold 15,875 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $117.53, for a total transaction of $1,865,788.75. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 45,710 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,372,296.30. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Robert M. Davis sold 143,329 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, April 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $114.93, for a total transaction of $16,472,801.97. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 271,817 shares in the company, valued at approximately $31,239,927.81. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 488,258 shares of company stock worth $56,481,018. 0.20% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.
Merck & Co., Inc. Company Profile
Merck & Co, Inc operates as a healthcare company worldwide. It operates through two segments, Pharmaceutical and Animal Health. The Pharmaceutical segment offers human health pharmaceutical products in the areas of oncology, hospital acute care, immunology, neuroscience, virology, cardiovascular, and diabetes, as well as vaccine products, such as preventive pediatric, adolescent, and adult vaccines.
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