Compound Planning Inc. Increases Stock Position in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Compound Planning Inc. raised its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 48.7% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 93,562 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 30,627 shares during the quarter. Compound Planning Inc.’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $11,255,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Kingdom Financial Group LLC. bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Abound Financial LLC bought a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Prosperity Bancshares Inc bought a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. High Note Wealth LLC raised its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 58.9% during the fourth quarter. High Note Wealth LLC now owns 294 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 109 shares in the last quarter. Finally, IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Up 2.4%

Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $130.57 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a current ratio of 1.30. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52-week low of $76.66 and a 52-week high of $131.74. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $121.27 and its 200-day moving average price is $117.62. The stock has a market capitalization of $322.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.78, a P/E/G ratio of 5.08 and a beta of 0.19.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($1.47) by $0.19. The company had revenue of $16.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.85 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 13.59% and a return on equity of 27.55%. The firm’s revenue was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.22 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.74 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th were paid a dividend of $0.85 per share. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 15th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio is 95.77%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Citigroup initiated 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. UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday. CICC Research started coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $138.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $112.00 to $113.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $133.94.

Merck & Co., Inc. Company 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.