Headlands Technologies LLC Invests $1.41 Million in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund purchased 10,997 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,413,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter worth approximately $3,997,933,000. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 14.8% in the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 86,435,458 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,098,196,000 after buying an additional 11,156,354 shares during the period. Cardano Risk Management B.V. bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter valued at $1,012,530,000. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD raised its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 37.9% during the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 18,753,390 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,973,983,000 after buying an additional 5,152,069 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP raised its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 985.4% during the 4th quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 3,969,469 shares of the company’s stock valued at $417,826,000 after buying an additional 3,603,769 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Down 0.2%

MRK opened at $148.00 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $365.14 billion, a PE ratio of 118.40, a PEG ratio of 6.22 and a beta of 0.19. 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 business has a 50 day moving average of $132.43 and a 200-day moving average of $122.67. 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 quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.26) by $0.13. The company had revenue of $16.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.37 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 16.73% and a net margin of 4.77%.The firm’s revenue was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.13 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.76 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Transactions at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 80,315 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.46, for a total value of $10,718,839.90. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 45,509 shares in the company, 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 can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 11,699 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $131.63, for a total transaction of $1,539,939.37. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 110,167 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,501,282.21. This trade represents a 9.60% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 228,238 shares of company stock worth $29,977,783. 0.17% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MRK has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $120.00 price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Scotiabank increased their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $136.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a “sector outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Barclays raised their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $147.60.

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.