Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Position Decreased by International Assets Investment Management LLC

International Assets Investment Management LLC reduced its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 99.1% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 27,551 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,944,003 shares during the quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $2,732,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MRK. Strategic Financial Concepts LLC grew its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 1,475.6% during the second quarter. Strategic Financial Concepts LLC now owns 35,057 shares of the company’s stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 32,832 shares in the last quarter. Lane & Associates LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 5.9% during the 2nd quarter. Lane & Associates LLC now owns 3,246 shares of the company’s stock valued at $402,000 after buying an additional 180 shares during the last quarter. LGT Fund Management Co Ltd. grew its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 326.3% in the 2nd quarter. LGT Fund Management Co Ltd. now owns 88,734 shares of the company’s stock valued at $10,985,000 after buying an additional 67,918 shares in the last quarter. Royal London Asset Management Ltd. increased its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 4.5% in the second quarter. Royal London Asset Management Ltd. now owns 1,193,981 shares of the company’s stock worth $147,815,000 after buying an additional 51,198 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Andra AP fonden raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 29.9% during the second quarter. Andra AP fonden now owns 307,300 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,044,000 after acquiring an additional 70,800 shares in the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of MRK traded down $1.59 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $99.43. The company had a trading volume of 1,953,747 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,903,672. The company’s 50-day moving average is $100.39 and its 200-day moving average is $111.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 1.36 and a quick ratio of 1.15. The company has a market capitalization of $251.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.84, a P/E/G ratio of 1.47 and a beta of 0.39. Merck & Co., Inc. has a twelve month low of $94.48 and a twelve month high of $134.63.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 31st. The company reported $1.57 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.50 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $16.66 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.47 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 19.23% and a return on equity of 36.42%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.13 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 7.73 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 8th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 16th will be paid a $0.81 dividend. This represents a $3.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.26%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 16th. This is an increase from Merck & Co., Inc.’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.77. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio is presently 67.92%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an “overweight” rating and set a $155.00 price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Thursday, October 3rd. Truist Financial reaffirmed a “hold” rating and issued a $110.00 price target (down previously from $130.00) on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $110.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, November 1st. Daiwa America downgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, November 11th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein started coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Thursday, October 17th. They issued a “market perform” rating and a $115.00 price objective for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and four have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $124.00.

Merck & Co., Inc. Profile

Merck & Co, Inc is a health care company, which engages in the provision of health solutions through its prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies, animal health, and consumer care products. It operates through the following segments: Pharmaceutical, Animal Health, and Other. The Pharmaceutical segment includes human health pharmaceutical and vaccine products.