The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company Raises Stake in Merit Medical Systems, Inc. $MMSI

The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lifted its stake in Merit Medical Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:MMSI) by 49.6% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 448,308 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after purchasing an additional 148,703 shares during the period. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company’s holdings in Merit Medical Systems were worth $30,902,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MMSI. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Merit Medical Systems by 7.3% during the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 16,361 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $1,730,000 after buying an additional 1,114 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its stake in Merit Medical Systems by 16.9% in the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 719,313 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $76,039,000 after acquiring an additional 103,878 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Merit Medical Systems by 745.9% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 922 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $86,000 after acquiring an additional 813 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP increased its position in shares of Merit Medical Systems by 24.8% during the second quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 59,215 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $5,535,000 after acquiring an additional 11,770 shares during the period. Finally, Cerity Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Merit Medical Systems by 9.1% during the second quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 3,019 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $282,000 after acquiring an additional 251 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.66% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Merit Medical Systems news, Director Lynne N. Ward sold 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $62.61, for a total transaction of $313,050.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 7,809 shares in the company, valued at $488,921.49. This represents a 39.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Brian G. Lloyd bought 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 7th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $62.62 per share, for a total transaction of $125,240.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 2,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $125,240. This represents a ? increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

Key Merit Medical Systems News

Here are the key news stories impacting Merit Medical Systems this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 results exceeded expectations: Merit reported revenue of $418.8 million, up 9.5% year over year and above the $405.3 million consensus estimate. Non-GAAP EPS rose 18% to $1.19, beating estimates of $0.96; GAAP operating margin also improved to 14.4% from 12.3%. Merit Medical Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results and Updates Full-Year 2026 Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: 2026 guidance was raised: Management now expects full-year adjusted EPS of $4.25-$4.35, above the $3.98 analyst consensus. Broad-based product growth, revenue gains and expanding margins supported the improved outlook. MMSI Q2 Earnings, Revenues Beat Estimates; 2026 Guidance Raised
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst targets moved higher: Needham raised its target to $101 and maintained a Buy rating; BTIG lifted its target to $105 and maintained Buy; and JPMorgan raised its target to $95 with an Overweight rating. These revisions indicate increased confidence in Merit’s growth and earnings trajectory. Analysts Increase Forecasts After Strong Q2 Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst opinion remains mixed: Wells Fargo raised its target to $83 but retained an Equal Weight rating, leaving its target below the stock’s recent trading level. Wells Fargo Raises Merit Medical Price Target
• Negative Sentiment: Cash generation weakened: Year-to-date operating cash flow fell 11% to $110.0 million, while free cash flow declined 14% to $76.6 million, a potential concern despite the strong earnings performance. Merit Medical Second Quarter Results

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently issued reports on MMSI shares. Barrington Research set a $114.00 price target on Merit Medical Systems in a report on Friday. Citigroup restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Merit Medical Systems in a report on Monday, April 20th. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $100.00 target price on shares of Merit Medical Systems in a research report on Friday. BTIG Research upped their target price on Merit Medical Systems from $100.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Merit Medical Systems from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Sunday, April 5th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $100.30.

Merit Medical Systems Trading Up 2.0%

NASDAQ:MMSI opened at $85.01 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $69.87 and a 200-day simple moving average of $71.78. Merit Medical Systems, Inc. has a one year low of $59.74 and a one year high of $94.75. The firm has a market cap of $5.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.13, a P/E/G ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 0.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 3.46 and a current ratio of 5.08.

Merit Medical Systems (NASDAQ:MMSI) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The medical instruments supplier reported $1.19 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.96 by $0.23. The firm had revenue of $418.84 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $405.25 million. Merit Medical Systems had a net margin of 9.22% and a return on equity of 13.97%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 9.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.01 earnings per share. Merit Medical Systems has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.250-4.350 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Merit Medical Systems, Inc. will post 3.62 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Merit Medical Systems Company Profile

Merit Medical Systems, Inc is a global manufacturer and marketer of a broad range of medical devices used in diagnostic and interventional procedures. The company’s product portfolio encompasses vascular access, drainage, embolotherapy, and interventional oncology devices, as well as radiofrequency ablation systems and hemostasis solutions. These products serve physicians and hospitals in critical care settings and support minimally invasive treatment options across multiple specialties, including cardiology, radiology, oncology, neurology and endoscopy.

Founded in 1987 by Fred Lampropoulos, Merit Medical Systems has grown through both organic development and targeted acquisitions to expand its technology offerings and geographic reach.