Thornburg Investment Management Inc. Buys 59,303 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Thornburg Investment Management Inc. raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 1.6% during the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 3,787,976 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 59,303 shares during the quarter. Merck & Co., Inc. makes up approximately 4.7% of Thornburg Investment Management Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 7th biggest position. Thornburg Investment Management Inc.’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $486,755,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in MRK. Kingdom Financial Group LLC. bought a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Prosperity Bancshares Inc acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Abound Financial LLC acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Graney & King LLC raised its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 400.0% during the second quarter. Graney & King LLC now owns 250 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. Finally, IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. bought a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

NYSE:MRK opened at $148.30 on Friday. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $131.78 and its 200-day moving average is $122.41. The company has a market cap of $365.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 118.64, a PEG ratio of 6.22 and a beta of 0.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.32. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52-week low of $77.58 and a 52-week high of $156.92.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.26) by $0.13. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 16.73% and a net margin of 4.77%.The business had revenue of $16.61 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.37 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.13 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.76 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be given a dividend of $0.85 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.3%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s payout ratio is currently 272.00%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MRK has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, August 21st. Barclays upped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Wolfe Research upped their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $155.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 25th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $142.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 20th. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Merck & Co., Inc. currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $147.60.

Insider Buying and Selling at Merck & Co., Inc.

In related news, EVP David R. Maraldo sold 18,706 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $128.72, for a total value of $2,407,836.32. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 18,212 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,344,248.64. This represents a 50.67% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 80,315 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.46, for a total value of $10,718,839.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 45,509 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,073,631.14. This trade represents a 63.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 228,238 shares of company stock valued at $29,977,783 in the last quarter. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.