Griffin Asset Management Inc. Has $11.91 Million Stake in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Griffin Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 6.3% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 113,106 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 6,657 shares during the quarter. Merck & Co., Inc. accounts for approximately 1.3% of Griffin Asset Management Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 25th largest position. Griffin Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $11,905,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the business. High Note Wealth LLC raised its holdings in shares of 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 buying an additional 109 shares during the last quarter. Tucker Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter worth about $34,000. Entrust Financial LLC bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter worth about $37,000. United Financial Planning Group LLC bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 3rd quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Wealth Watch Advisors INC acquired a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 3rd quarter valued at about $34,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $113.01 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $279.12 billion, a PE ratio of 31.83, a PEG ratio of 2.57 and a beta of 0.18. 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. has a 1 year low of $75.40 and a 1 year high of $125.14. The company’s 50-day moving average is $115.82 and its two-hundred day moving average is $109.92.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($1.47) by $0.19. The company had revenue of $16.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $15.85 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 13.59% and a return on equity of 27.55%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.22 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.16 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have weighed in on MRK. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Zacks Research raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 17th. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, April 13th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 16th. Finally, Guggenheim increased their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $122.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $128.18.

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.