Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Stock Holdings Boosted by Ethic Inc.

Ethic Inc. raised its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 5.8% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 378,857 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 20,816 shares during the quarter. Merck & Co., Inc. comprises about 0.6% of Ethic Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 24th largest position. Ethic Inc.’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $55,052,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of MRK. Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 2nd quarter worth about $11,470,000. Russell Investments Group Ltd. increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.0% in the second quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 2,578,024 shares of the company’s stock valued at $331,931,000 after acquiring an additional 51,393 shares during the last quarter. Cardinal Capital Management increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.6% in the third quarter. Cardinal Capital Management now owns 99,742 shares of the company’s stock valued at $14,578,000 after acquiring an additional 3,507 shares during the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 12.3% in the second quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 2,073,176 shares of the company’s stock valued at $266,403,000 after acquiring an additional 227,589 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. raised its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 7.0% during the second quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 6,184,340 shares of the company’s stock worth $794,577,000 after acquiring an additional 402,011 shares in the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $135.00, for a total transaction of $1,350,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 36,613 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,942,755. This trade represents a 21.45% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 80,315 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.46, for a total transaction of $10,718,839.90. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 45,509 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,073,631.14. This represents a 63.83% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 135,635 shares of company stock valued at $18,011,040 over the last ninety days. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 0.0%

MRK opened at $146.90 on Friday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1-year low of $85.24 and a 1-year high of $156.92. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $146.39 and its 200 day simple moving average is $127.63. The company has a current ratio of 1.35, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11. The stock has a market cap of $362.42 billion, a PE ratio of 151.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.68 and a beta of 0.13.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 29th. The company reported $2.49 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.09 by $0.40. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 3.64% and a return on equity of 16.73%. The firm had revenue of $18.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $17.33 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.58 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.84 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MRK has been the subject of several recent research reports. Argus initiated coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Tuesday, November 3rd. They set a “strong-buy” rating for the company. Barclays raised their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $180.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, October 26th. Berenberg Bank boosted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $127.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, September 11th. TD Cowen upped their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $137.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 23rd. Finally, Freedom Broker upped their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, November 2nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $155.74.

Merck & Co., Inc. Company Profile

Merck & Co, Inc is a global pharmaceutical company that develops and markets prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies and animal-health products. The company’s research and commercial activities span areas including oncology, infectious diseases, vaccines, cardiovascular disease and immunology. Its products include the cancer medicine Keytruda and the Gardasil vaccine.

Founded in the United States in 1891, Merck & Co became an independent company in 1917. It is headquartered in Rahway, New Jersey, and operates internationally.