Stableford Capital II LLC Buys 6,788 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Stableford Capital II LLC grew its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 51.6% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 19,941 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 6,788 shares during the period. Merck & Co., Inc. comprises approximately 0.9% of Stableford Capital II LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 23rd biggest holding. Stableford Capital II LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $2,562,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of MRK. Kingdom Financial Group LLC. purchased a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Prosperity Bancshares Inc purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Abound Financial LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter worth $26,000. IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter worth $31,000. Finally, High Note Wealth LLC grew its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 58.9% during the 4th quarter. High Note Wealth LLC now owns 294 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 109 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently commented on MRK shares. Barclays raised their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Citigroup began coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $125.00 price objective for the company. Scotiabank increased their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $136.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a “sector outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $135.00 to $142.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $134.50.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Down 1.9%

Shares of NYSE:MRK opened at $127.72 on Tuesday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12-month low of $77.58 and a 12-month high of $135.05. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $123.28 and its 200-day simple moving average is $118.66. The company has a market capitalization of $315.45 billion, a PE ratio of 35.98, a P/E/G ratio of 5.17 and a beta of 0.19. 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. Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be given a dividend of $0.85 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.7%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 95.77%.

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.