Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Stock Sold by Russell Investments Group Ltd.

Russell Investments Group Ltd. cut its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 16.0% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 2,165,166 shares of the company’s stock after selling 412,858 shares during the quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. owned 0.09% of Merck & Co., Inc. worth $316,401,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Bullseye Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the second quarter worth $27,000. Curry Webb Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the third quarter valued at $29,000. Horizons Wealth Management purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 3rd quarter worth $30,000. Graney & King LLC boosted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 400.0% during the 2nd quarter. Graney & King LLC now owns 250 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Montgomery Financial Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 2nd quarter worth $41,000. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

Shares of MRK stock opened at $146.98 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $146.25 and a 200 day moving average price of $128.41. The stock has a market cap of $362.34 billion, a PE ratio of 151.52, a P/E/G ratio of 6.75 and a beta of 0.13. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1 year low of $90.90 and a 1 year high of $156.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a current ratio of 1.35.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, October 29th. The company reported $2.49 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.09 by $0.40. The company had revenue of $18.09 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $17.33 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 16.73% and a net margin of 3.64%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s quarterly revenue was up 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.58 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.82 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Key Stories Impacting Merck & Co., Inc.

These are some of the MRK stories that stood out recently:

• Positive Sentiment: Merck and Moderna plan to file their personalized cancer vaccine, intismeran, with Keytruda this year. The combination reduced the risk of melanoma recurrence or death by 42%, a potentially important growth opportunity if supported by upcoming data and regulatory review. Article: Merck’s Keytruda Combo Cut Melanoma Recurrence or Death Risk 42%. What the February 2 Report Has to Prove
• Positive Sentiment: Phase 2b results for efinopegdutide showed statistically significant MASH resolution without worsening fibrosis. The data add to investor optimism about Merck’s pipeline beyond Keytruda. Article: Merck (MRK) Could Be 7% Undervalued As MASH Trial Data Lifts Optimism
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck is scheduled to participate in the Jefferies Global Healthcare Conference in London. The appearance could provide investors with updates, but the announcement itself gives no new financial or clinical information. Article: Merck to Participate in the Jefferies Global Healthcare Conference in London

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on MRK shares. Scotiabank upped their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $155.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock a “sector outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 29th. Wolfe Research raised their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $155.00 to $180.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 25th. Cantor Fitzgerald boosted their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, November 2nd. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, October 26th. Finally, Argus started coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Tuesday, November 3rd. They set a “strong-buy” rating on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $155.74.

Merck & Co., Inc. 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.