Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Sold by Commonwealth Equity Services LLC

Commonwealth Equity Services LLC lessened its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 5.4% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,087,071 shares of the company’s stock after selling 62,642 shares during the quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $157,962,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

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

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:MRK opened at $146.76 on Friday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $146.45 and a 200-day moving average price of $127.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.32 and a quick ratio of 1.10. The company has a market capitalization of $362.08 billion, a PE ratio of 151.30, a PEG ratio of 6.83 and a beta of 0.13. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1-year low of $84.35 and a 1-year high of $156.92.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 29th. The company reported $2.49 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.09 by $0.40. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 3.64% and a return on equity of 16.56%. The company had revenue of $18.09 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $17.33 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.58 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc.’s revenue was up 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.85 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 80,315 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.46, for a total transaction of $10,718,839.90. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 45,509 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,073,631.14. This trade represents a 63.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 20,784 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $130.43, for a total transaction of $2,710,857.12. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 134,703 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $17,569,312.29. The trade was a 13.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 135,635 shares of company stock valued at $18,011,040. Insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on MRK shares. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $179.00 to $177.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 7th. Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their target price 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 report on Tuesday, August 25th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 20th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $155.74.

Trending Headlines about Merck & Co., Inc.

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

• Positive Sentiment: Argus initiated coverage with a “strong buy” rating. Other coverage also cited a Wall Street “moderate buy” consensus and bullish forecasts, including a Cantor Fitzgerald price-target increase; the reports provided no target details. Read More., Read More., Read More., Read More..
• Positive Sentiment: Keytruda and Gardasil sales increased in the third quarter, providing support for revenue growth. Read More..
• Neutral Sentiment: A Baron Capital investor letter characterized business development as supporting Merck’s next growth phase, but the supplied excerpt gives no specific deal or forecast details. Read More..
• Negative Sentiment: Growth durability remains a concern: the Zacks report flags inventory reversals, slowing demand and looming competition as potential challenges to Keytruda and Gardasil momentum. Read More..

Merck & Co., Inc. 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.