Tredje AP fonden Increases Stake in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Tredje AP fonden increased its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 12.4% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 709,260 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 78,195 shares during the period. Tredje AP fonden’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $74,657,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in MRK. United Financial Planning Group LLC purchased a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. High Note Wealth LLC boosted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 58.9% during the 4th quarter. High Note Wealth LLC now owns 294 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 109 shares during the period. Tucker Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter valued at $34,000. Wealth Watch Advisors INC purchased a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 3rd quarter valued at $34,000. Finally, Dunhill Financial LLC boosted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 83.0% during the 3rd quarter. Dunhill Financial LLC now owns 419 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 190 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Up 1.1%

Shares of NYSE MRK opened at $112.63 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12 month low of $75.40 and a 12 month high of $125.14. The firm has a market capitalization of $278.18 billion, a PE ratio of 31.73, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 0.18. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $115.94 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $109.54.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($1.47) by $0.19. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 13.59% and a return on equity of 27.55%. The business had revenue of $16.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.85 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.22 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.16 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have weighed in on MRK. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $145.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Guggenheim increased their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $122.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Zacks Research raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. Finally, Barclays began coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Friday, February 20th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $140.00 price target for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $128.18.

About Merck & Co., Inc.

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.