Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Stock Sold by PBU The Pension Fund of Early Childhood & Youth Educators

PBU The Pension Fund of Early Childhood & Youth Educators decreased its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 12.7% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 163,839 shares of the company’s stock after selling 23,750 shares during the period. PBU The Pension Fund of Early Childhood & Youth Educators’ holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $23,807,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. BlackRock Inc. grew its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.5% during the 2nd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 226,999,837 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,169,479,000 after acquiring an additional 1,073,507 shares during the period. State Street Corp increased its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.9% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 120,413,256 shares of the company’s stock valued at $15,573,754,000 after purchasing an additional 1,087,583 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.3% in the 2nd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 86,249,283 shares of the company’s stock valued at $11,083,033,000 after purchasing an additional 1,934,312 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE increased its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 10.5% in the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 30,774,221 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,701,831,000 after purchasing an additional 2,919,780 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 23.8% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 15,456,039 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,858,938,000 after purchasing an additional 2,969,856 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

More Merck & Co., Inc. News

Here’s some of the latest news about MRK:

• 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
• Negative Sentiment: Merck is among drugmakers facing a looming patent cliff, which could pressure sales and helps explain the focus on dividend income and pipeline growth. Article: Americans Fill Prescriptions Every Month, and $90,000 Across These 3 Drugmakers Pays $3,650 a Year

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

MRK opened at $146.98 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11. The company has a market cap of $362.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 151.52, a PEG ratio of 6.75 and a beta of 0.13. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52-week low of $90.90 and a 52-week high of $156.92. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $146.25 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $128.41.

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

MRK has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Barclays increased their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, October 26th. Cantor Fitzgerald raised their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, November 2nd. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $179.00 to $177.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 7th. Citigroup upped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, October 12th. Finally, Wolfe Research upped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $155.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 25th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $155.74.

Merck & Co., Inc. Company 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.