Capital Research Global Investors Raises Stock Position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK)

Capital Research Global Investors raised its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 119.1% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 4,473,385 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 2,431,430 shares during the period. Capital Research Global Investors owned 0.18% of Merck & Co., Inc. worth $445,012,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of MRK. Curi RMB Capital LLC raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 7.4% in the 4th quarter. Curi RMB Capital LLC now owns 212,044 shares of the company's stock worth $21,094,000 after purchasing an additional 14,562 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 63.1% during the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 11,577,535 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,151,642,000 after buying an additional 4,480,007 shares during the last quarter. Edgar Lomax Co. VA purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter worth approximately $62,830,000. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 39.0% during the 4th quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 907,237 shares of the company's stock worth $90,252,000 after acquiring an additional 254,691 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Forum Financial Management LP boosted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 31.0% during the 4th quarter. Forum Financial Management LP now owns 32,205 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,204,000 after acquiring an additional 7,612 shares during the period. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of NYSE MRK traded down $0.34 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $78.40. The stock had a trading volume of 10,005,925 shares, compared to its average volume of 16,237,674. The company has a quick ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.79. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1 year low of $75.93 and a 1 year high of $134.63. The company has a market capitalization of $197.71 billion, a PE ratio of 11.65, a P/E/G ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 0.40. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $87.12 and a 200-day simple moving average of $95.61.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The company reported $2.22 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.16 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $15.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $15.59 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 26.67% and a return on equity of 45.35%. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 7th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 17th were paid a dividend of $0.81 per share. This represents a $3.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.13%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 17th. Merck & Co., Inc.'s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 48.14%.

Merck & Co., Inc. declared that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase program on Tuesday, January 28th that authorizes the company to repurchase $10.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to repurchase up to 4.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are often an indication that the company's board believes its stock is undervalued.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

MRK has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Cantor Fitzgerald began coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Tuesday. They set a "neutral" rating and a $85.00 target price for the company. Truist Financial reiterated a "hold" rating and set a $110.00 price objective (down previously from $130.00) on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Citigroup dropped their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $115.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 5th. Guggenheim reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $115.00 price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Thursday, April 17th. Finally, Bank of America dropped their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $118.00 to $112.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 5th. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and three have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $111.13.

Insider Buying and Selling at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, insider Cristal N. Downing sold 2,361 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $88.76, for a total transaction of $209,562.36. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 7,085 shares of the company's stock, valued at $628,864.60. This trade represents a 24.99 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Inge G. Thulin purchased 2,833 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 6th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $88.25 per share, with a total value of $250,012.25. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 2,933 shares in the company, valued at approximately $258,837.25. This trade represents a 2,833.00 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 0.09% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Merck & Co., Inc. Company 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.