Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Bought by Saudi Central Bank

Saudi Central Bank grew its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 22.7% in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 440,465 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 81,454 shares during the period. Merck & Co., Inc. accounts for about 0.7% of Saudi Central Bank’s holdings, making the stock its 28th largest holding. Saudi Central Bank’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $56,332,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in MRK. Kingdom Financial Group LLC. acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Abound Financial LLC acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Prosperity Bancshares Inc acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. High Note Wealth LLC increased its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 58.9% in the fourth quarter. High Note Wealth LLC now owns 294 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 109 shares during the last quarter. Finally, IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. purchased a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, EVP David R. Maraldo sold 18,706 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $128.72, for a total transaction of $2,407,836.32. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 18,212 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,344,248.64. This represents a 50.67% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.00, for a total value of $1,350,000.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 36,613 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,942,755. The trade was a 21.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 228,238 shares of company stock valued at $29,977,783. Corporate insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Down 1.3%

MRK opened at $150.37 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $370.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 120.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.54 and a beta of 0.21. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52 week low of $77.58 and a 52 week high of $156.92. The business’s 50 day moving average is $134.64 and its two-hundred day moving average is $123.52. The company has a quick ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 1.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported ($0.13) earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.26) by $0.13. The business had revenue of $16.61 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.37 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 16.73% and a net margin of 4.77%.The company’s revenue was up 5.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.13 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.660-2.760 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.76 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be paid a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s payout ratio is currently 272.00%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MRK has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday. Argus increased their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 25th. CICC Research began coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $138.00 price target on the stock. Wolfe Research lifted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $155.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 25th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $148.60.

Merck & Co., Inc. Profile

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.