Synergy Asset Management LLC Grows Stock Position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK)

Synergy Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 28.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 196,461 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 43,245 shares during the period. Merck & Co., Inc. makes up approximately 1.7% of Synergy Asset Management LLC's holdings, making the stock its 14th largest position. Synergy Asset Management LLC's holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $21,688,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in MRK. Algert Global LLC bought a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the second quarter worth about $325,000. Quarry LP purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the second quarter worth $42,000. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL bought a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 2nd quarter worth $267,000. Creekside Partners bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the second quarter valued at about $254,000. Finally, Sanctuary Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the second quarter worth about $61,256,000. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock traded up $0.63 on Thursday, reaching $98.91. 10,155,539 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 10,963,198. Merck & Co., Inc. has a twelve month low of $94.48 and a twelve month high of $134.63. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $99.86 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $108.06. The company has a quick ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.79. The firm has a market capitalization of $250.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.74, a PEG ratio of 1.13 and a beta of 0.39.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 31st. The company reported $1.57 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.50 by $0.07. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 19.23% and a return on equity of 36.42%. The business had revenue of $16.66 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $16.47 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.13 EPS. The business's revenue was up 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 7.67 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 7th. Investors of record on Monday, March 17th will be issued a $0.81 dividend. This represents a $3.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.28%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 17th. Merck & Co., Inc.'s payout ratio is presently 67.92%.

Merck & Co., Inc. declared that its board has approved a stock buyback plan on Tuesday, January 28th that permits the company to repurchase $10.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to purchase up to 4.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are generally an indication that the company's board believes its shares are undervalued.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on MRK shares. Barclays cut their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $142.00 to $140.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, October 7th. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $155.00 price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Thursday, October 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $110.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, November 1st. Hsbc Global Res upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, December 4th. Finally, Daiwa Capital Markets cut shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, November 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and four have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $122.67.

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.