Key Points
- Merck EVP Richard Deluca sold 6,050 shares for approximately $788,799, reducing his direct stake by 3.75% to 155,487 shares.
- Merck reported quarterly revenue of $16.61 billion, exceeding estimates, while adjusted earnings per share also beat expectations; revenue increased 5.1% year over year.
- The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.85 per share, equivalent to an annualized $3.40 payout and a 2.6% yield. Analysts maintain a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating with a $134.56 price target.
Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) EVP Richard Deluca sold 6,050 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $130.38, for a total value of $788,799.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 155,487 shares in the company, valued at approximately $20,272,395.06. This represents a 3.75% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink.
Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Up 1.7%
Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $130.72 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $322.85 billion, a PE ratio of 104.58, a P/E/G ratio of 5.56 and a beta of 0.19. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1 year low of $77.58 and a 1 year high of $135.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.30 and a quick ratio of 1.06. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $124.29 and a 200-day moving average price of $119.33.
Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last posted 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. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 4.77% and a return on equity of 16.05%. The company had revenue of $16.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.37 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.13 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. 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 EPS for the current year.
Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement
The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be paid a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.'s payout ratio is presently 272.00%.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
Several brokerages have recently issued reports on MRK. Guggenheim raised their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $146.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Citigroup assumed coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $125.00 price objective on the stock. UBS Group increased their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, April 13th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Finally, Barclays boosted their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Merck & Co., Inc. presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $134.56.
Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Merck & Co., Inc.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Merck & Co., Inc.
A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Great Lakes Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the second quarter worth $9,753,000. Oxbow Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 8.9% in the second quarter. Oxbow Advisors LLC now owns 3,575 shares of the company's stock valued at $459,000 after purchasing an additional 292 shares in the last quarter. Wealthfront Advisers LLC grew its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.0% in the second quarter. Wealthfront Advisers LLC now owns 317,659 shares of the company's stock valued at $40,819,000 after purchasing an additional 6,380 shares in the last quarter. Foster & Motley Inc. raised its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 4.9% during the 2nd quarter. Foster & Motley Inc. now owns 38,282 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,919,000 after purchasing an additional 1,783 shares during the period. Finally, Strategic Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 10.1% during the 2nd quarter. Strategic Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 5,655 shares of the company's stock valued at $727,000 after purchasing an additional 517 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 76.07% of the company's stock.
Merck & Co., Inc. Company Profile
(
Get Free Report)
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.
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