Stableford Capital II LLC Raises Stock Holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Stableford Capital II LLC grew its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 51.6% in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 19,941 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 6,788 shares during the quarter. Merck & Co., Inc. comprises approximately 0.9% of Stableford Capital II LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 23rd largest holding. Stableford Capital II LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $2,562,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Kingdom Financial Group LLC. purchased a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Abound Financial LLC purchased a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Prosperity Bancshares Inc purchased a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter worth $26,000. High Note Wealth LLC grew its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 58.9% in the 4th 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. Finally, IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. 76.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Barclays upped their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Guggenheim boosted their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Citigroup initiated coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $125.00 price objective on the stock. CICC Research assumed coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $138.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Bank of America raised their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $141.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $134.50.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $127.72 on Tuesday. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $123.28 and its two-hundred day moving average is $118.66. The company has a market capitalization of $315.45 billion, a PE ratio of 35.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.17 and a beta of 0.19. The company has a quick ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52 week low of $77.58 and a 52 week high of $135.05.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.85 per share. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s payout ratio is currently 95.77%.

Merck & Co., Inc. Company 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.