Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Stock Now Rated “Moderate Buy” by Sell-Side Analysts

Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) have received an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-nine brokerages that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, eleven have issued a hold recommendation, sixteen have given a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $155.74.

MRK has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Cantor Fitzgerald raised their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, November 2nd. Guggenheim lifted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $170.00 to $171.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, October 30th. Daiwa Securities Group raised Merck & Co., Inc. from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $143.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, October 26th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $152.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 20th.

Insider Transactions at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, EVP Jennifer Zachary sold 80,315 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 45,509 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,073,631.14. This represents a 63.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Chirfi Guindo sold 10,000 shares of the company’s 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 36,613 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,942,755. This trade represents 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 sold 135,635 shares of company stock worth $18,011,040. 0.17% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Merck & Co., Inc.

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

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 0.0%

MRK opened at $146.90 on Friday. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $146.39 and its 200 day simple moving average is $127.63. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1-year low of $85.24 and a 1-year high of $156.92. The company has a current ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. The stock has a market cap of $362.42 billion, a PE ratio of 151.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.70 and a beta of 0.13.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 29th. The company reported $2.49 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.09 by $0.40. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 16.56% and a net margin of 3.64%. The company had revenue of $18.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $17.33 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.58 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.84 earnings per share for the current year.

About Merck & Co., Inc.

Merck & Co, Inc is a global pharmaceutical company that develops and markets prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies and animal-health products. The company’s research and commercial activities span areas including oncology, infectious diseases, vaccines, cardiovascular disease and immunology. Its products include the cancer medicine Keytruda and the Gardasil vaccine.

Founded in the United States in 1891, Merck & Co became an independent company in 1917. It is headquartered in Rahway, New Jersey, and operates internationally.