Rossmore Private Capital lessened its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK – Get Rating) by 3.1% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 67,703 shares of the company's stock after selling 2,166 shares during the period. Merck & Co., Inc. accounts for 0.9% of Rossmore Private Capital's portfolio, making the stock its 28th largest position. Rossmore Private Capital's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $5,555,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Landmark Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the first quarter worth about $25,000. Joseph P. Lucia & Associates LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Financial Avengers Inc. boosted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 115.8% during the 4th quarter. Financial Avengers Inc. now owns 328 shares of the company's stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 176 shares during the last quarter. Front Row Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 89.4% during the fourth quarter. Front Row Advisors LLC now owns 339 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 160 shares during the period. Finally, Okabena Investment Services Inc. bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Institutional investors own 72.88% of the company's stock.
Get Merck & Co. Inc. alerts:Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Up 0.7 %
NYSE:MRK opened at $87.41 on Friday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a twelve month low of $70.89 and a twelve month high of $95.72. The firm has a market capitalization of $221.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 0.32. The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $90.27 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $85.41.
Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK – Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 28th. The company reported $1.87 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.69 by $0.18. The firm had revenue of $14.59 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.85 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 29.00% and a return on equity of 50.02%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 28.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.31 earnings per share. Equities research analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 7.31 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend
The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 7th. Investors of record on Thursday, September 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.69 per share. This represents a $2.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.16%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, September 14th. Merck & Co., Inc.'s payout ratio is currently 42.27%.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on MRK. Cowen lifted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $95.00 to $102.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research report on Monday, June 27th. Barclays boosted their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $94.00 to $97.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 12th. Mizuho began coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Friday, June 24th. They set a "buy" rating and a $100.00 price target on the stock. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $88.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday, July 29th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $76.00 to $98.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, July 18th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $97.44.
Merck & Co., Inc. Company Profile
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Merck & Co, Inc operates as a healthcare company worldwide. It operates through two segments, Pharmaceutical and Animal Health. The Pharmaceutical segment offers human health pharmaceutical products in the areas of oncology, hospital acute care, immunology, neuroscience, virology, cardiovascular, and diabetes, as well as vaccine products, such as preventive pediatric, adolescent, and adult vaccines.
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