Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Acquired by Rakuten Investment Management Inc.

Rakuten Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 9.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 443,001 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 38,887 shares during the period. Rakuten Investment Management Inc.’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $66,131,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Curry Webb Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the third quarter worth approximately $29,000. Horizons Wealth Management acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the third quarter worth $30,000. Bullseye Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 2nd quarter valued at $27,000. Graney & King LLC grew its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 400.0% in the 2nd quarter. Graney & King LLC now owns 250 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Foresight Capital Management Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 3rd quarter worth $43,000. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More Merck & Co., Inc. News

Here are the key news stories impacting Merck & Co., Inc. this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Merck began a Phase 3 trial of Ohtuvayre (ensifentrine) to assess whether it can prevent COPD exacerbations in higher-risk adults. A successful study could support the drug’s growth potential and broaden Merck’s pipeline. Merck initiates Phase 3 Ohtuvayre study
• Positive Sentiment: The U.S. FDA granted emergency-use authorization for a Merck treatment against screwworm in dogs, providing a near-term product opportunity. Reuters report on FDA authorization
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck’s pipeline is being viewed as a potential future growth driver, and its CEO has targeted $70 billion in revenue in the mid-2030s. However, the outlook depends on development and launch execution. Article on Merck’s pipeline and growth outlook
• Negative Sentiment: DZ Bank downgraded MRK from Buy to Hold, despite setting a $153 price target. The move adds to caution around the stock; commentary also points to the looming patent cliff as a key longer-term risk. DZ Bank rating change

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 2.6%

Shares of NYSE MRK opened at $144.50 on Wednesday. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $146.70 and its 200-day simple moving average is $127.06. The company has a current ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. The stock has a market cap of $356.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 148.97, a PEG ratio of 6.70 and a beta of 0.13. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12-month low of $82.01 and a 12-month high of $156.92.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 29th. The company reported $2.49 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.09 by $0.40. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 16.56% and a net margin of 3.64%. The business had revenue of $18.09 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $17.33 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.58 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Merck & Co., Inc.

In related news, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 80,315 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.46, for a total value of $10,718,839.90. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 45,509 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,073,631.14. This trade represents a 63.83% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Chirfi Guindo sold 15,000 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $131.00, for a total transaction of $1,965,000.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 46,613 shares in the company, valued at $6,106,303. This represents a 24.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 156,685 shares of company stock valued at $20,764,839. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently commented on MRK shares. Scotiabank lifted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $155.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock a “sector outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 29th. Zacks Research lowered shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Monday, October 19th. Cantor Fitzgerald upped their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 25th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $140.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 30th. Seventeen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $155.74.

Merck & Co., Inc. Company Profile

Merck & Co, Inc is a global healthcare company that develops, manufactures and markets prescription medicines, vaccines and animal-health products. Its pharmaceutical business focuses on oncology, infectious diseases, cardiology, immunology and other areas of significant medical need. The company serves patients, healthcare providers and institutions in markets worldwide.

Merck’s principal products include Keytruda, an immunotherapy used to treat a range of cancers; Gardasil and Gardasil 9, vaccines that help protect against human papillomavirus; and Januvia and Janumet, medicines used to manage type 2 diabetes.