Fisher Asset Management LLC Trims Stock Holdings in Merit Medical Systems, Inc. $MMSI

Fisher Asset Management LLC decreased its position in Merit Medical Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:MMSI) by 7.5% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 205,003 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 16,606 shares during the period. Fisher Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Merit Medical Systems were worth $18,069,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. William Blair Investment Management LLC raised its stake in Merit Medical Systems by 1.3% in the 4th quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC now owns 874,859 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $77,110,000 after acquiring an additional 10,863 shares during the last quarter. Karras Company Inc. purchased a new position in Merit Medical Systems in the 4th quarter worth $1,016,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC raised its stake in Merit Medical Systems by 973.6% in the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 569 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $50,000 after acquiring an additional 516 shares during the last quarter. Covestor Ltd raised its stake in Merit Medical Systems by 252.6% in the 4th quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 469 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $41,000 after acquiring an additional 336 shares during the last quarter. Finally, ProShare Advisors LLC raised its stake in Merit Medical Systems by 3.2% in the 4th quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 11,383 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $1,003,000 after acquiring an additional 351 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.66% of the company’s stock.

Merit Medical Systems Price Performance

Shares of Merit Medical Systems stock opened at $62.52 on Thursday. 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, Inc. has a twelve month low of $59.74 and a twelve month high of $96.74. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $66.54 and a 200 day moving average price of $77.22. The firm has a market cap of $3.73 billion, a PE ratio of 27.07, a P/E/G ratio of 2.01 and a beta of 0.58.

Merit Medical Systems (NASDAQ:MMSI) last announced 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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $377.59 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.86 EPS. Merit Medical Systems’s revenue for the quarter 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. Sell-side analysts predict that Merit Medical Systems, Inc. will post 3.62 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other Merit Medical Systems news, insider Brian G. Lloyd purchased 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 7th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $62.62 per share, for a total transaction of $125,240.00. Following the purchase, the insider directly owned 2,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $125,240. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Lynne N. Ward sold 5,000 shares of Merit Medical Systems 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 transaction, the director owned 7,809 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $488,921.49. This represents a 39.04% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 0.70% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Key Stories Impacting Merit Medical Systems

Here are the key news stories impacting Merit Medical Systems this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised several forward earnings estimates for Merit Medical Systems, including Q4 2026, Q3 2027, Q1 2028, and FY2028, signaling improved profit expectations over the long term.
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks also lifted its FY2026 EPS forecast, which can support the bullish long-term growth case for MMSI even though it remains near the broader consensus.
• Positive Sentiment: A Zacks article highlighted Merit Medical as a top growth stock candidate, reinforcing the view that the company still has favorable fundamentals for long-term investors. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: GuruFocus noted the recent share decline and pointed to a GF Score of 79, suggesting the stock is still fundamentally solid but not without near-term pressure. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: A Yahoo Finance article titled “2 Reasons to Avoid MMSI and 1 Stock to Buy Instead” likely added to bearish investor sentiment around the name. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: The stock has also been under pressure more broadly, with recent coverage emphasizing that MMSI is in a downtrend, which may be weighing on trading today.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on MMSI. Piper Sandler reduced their target price on Merit Medical Systems from $106.00 to $96.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Weiss Ratings lowered Merit Medical Systems from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Robert W. Baird set a $83.00 target price on Merit Medical Systems in a research note on Friday, May 1st. BTIG Research started coverage on Merit Medical Systems in a report on Friday, February 6th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $107.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Compass Point set a $107.00 price objective on Merit Medical Systems in a report on Monday, April 20th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $92.80.

About Merit Medical Systems

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.