Northeast Investment Management increased its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK – Free Report) by 7.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 61,570 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,092 shares during the quarter. Northeast Investment Management’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $8,947,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Bullseye Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the second quarter worth about $27,000. Curry Webb Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the third quarter valued at about $29,000. Horizons Wealth Management purchased a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the third quarter valued at about $30,000. Graney & King LLC grew its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 400.0% during the 2nd quarter. Graney & King LLC now owns 250 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Montgomery Financial Services LLC acquired a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $41,000. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Up 3.8%
Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $150.19 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 1.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. The firm has a market cap of $370.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 154.84, a P/E/G ratio of 6.57 and a beta of 0.13. Merck & Co., Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $82.91 and a fifty-two week high of $156.92. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $146.57 and a 200 day moving average price of $127.26.
Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 29th. The company reported $2.49 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.09 by $0.40. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 16.56% and a net margin of 3.64%. The firm had revenue of $18.09 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $17.33 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.58 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc.’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.85 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Merck & Co., Inc. News Summary
Here are the key news stories impacting Merck & Co., Inc. this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Wall Street’s broad advance provided a supportive backdrop for stocks, including healthcare shares; this looks like a market-wide tailwind rather than a Merck-specific catalyst. Stocks Surged Across the Board Today, and Biotech Brought Its Own Earnings Story
- Positive Sentiment: Cantor Fitzgerald raised its price target on Merck, while Freedom Broker reportedly forecast further appreciation, signaling supportive analyst sentiment. Cantor Fitzgerald Price Target Bump Freedom Broker Forecast
- Positive Sentiment: The FDA granted emergency-use authorization for a Merck treatment for screwworm in dogs, offering a potential near-term opportunity in animal health. Merck gets US FDA emergency use nod for treatment of screwworm in dogs
- Positive Sentiment: Merck began enrolling patients in a Phase 3 study of Ohtuvayre to assess whether it can prevent COPD exacerbations. The trial expands the drug’s potential, though results are not yet available. Merck Initiates Phase 3 Study of Ohtuvayre
- Neutral Sentiment: Merck’s pipeline is cited as a possible growth driver, but the company’s looming patent cliff remains a significant longer-term risk to growth. Merck’s Pipeline Could Be Its Next Big Growth Driver
- Negative Sentiment: DZ Bank cut its rating from Buy to Hold, setting a $153 price target that suggests limited upside from the price cited in the report. DZ Bank rating update
Insider Buying and Selling at Merck & Co., Inc.
In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 80,315 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.46, for a total transaction of $10,718,839.90. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 45,509 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,073,631.14. This represents a 63.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.00, for a total transaction of $1,350,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 36,613 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,942,755. The trade was a 21.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 135,635 shares of company stock worth $18,011,040 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
MRK has been the topic of several analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, September 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $165.00 to $175.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, October 30th. Daiwa Securities Group raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $143.00 price target for the company in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. Berenberg Bank raised their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $127.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, September 11th. Finally, Leerink Partners lifted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $127.00 to $161.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $155.74.
Read Our Latest Research Report on Merck & Co., Inc.
Merck & Co., Inc. Company Profile
Merck & Co, Inc is a global healthcare company that develops, manufactures and markets prescription medicines, vaccines and animal-health products. Its pharmaceutical business focuses on oncology, infectious diseases, cardiology, immunology and other areas of significant medical need. The company serves patients, healthcare providers and institutions in markets worldwide.
Merck’s principal products include Keytruda, an immunotherapy used to treat a range of cancers; Gardasil and Gardasil 9, vaccines that help protect against human papillomavirus; and Januvia and Janumet, medicines used to manage type 2 diabetes.
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