Griffin Asset Management Inc. Has $11.91 Million Holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Griffin Asset Management Inc. raised its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 6.3% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 113,106 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 6,657 shares during the period. Merck & Co., Inc. makes up approximately 1.3% of Griffin Asset Management Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 25th biggest position. Griffin Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $11,905,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of MRK. United Financial Planning Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the third quarter valued at about $31,000. High Note Wealth LLC grew its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 58.9% during the fourth quarter. High Note Wealth LLC now owns 294 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 109 shares in the last quarter. Tucker Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter worth about $34,000. Wealth Watch Advisors INC bought a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the third quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, Dunhill Financial LLC increased its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 83.0% during the third quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 419 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 190 shares during the period. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:MRK opened at $113.01 on Thursday. 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 business’s fifty day moving average price is $115.82 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $109.92. Merck & Co., Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $75.40 and a fifty-two week high of $125.14. The stock has a market capitalization of $279.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.57 and a beta of 0.18.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($1.47) by $0.19. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 27.55% and a net margin of 13.59%.The company had revenue of $16.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $15.85 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.22 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.16 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have commented on MRK shares. Wall Street Zen downgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 16th. UBS Group boosted their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, April 13th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $142.00 target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Monday, March 30th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $145.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Citigroup started coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $125.00 price target on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Merck & Co., Inc. presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $128.18.

Merck & Co., Inc. 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.