Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Stock Acquired by Fisher Asset Management LLC

Fisher Asset Management LLC raised its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 8.3% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 41,699,432 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,183,169 shares during the period. Merck & Co., Inc. makes up about 1.8% of Fisher Asset Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 14th biggest holding. Fisher Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $6,059,345,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Private Advisory Group LLC boosted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 12.6% during the 3rd quarter. Private Advisory Group LLC now owns 1,865 shares of the company’s stock worth $271,000 after purchasing an additional 209 shares during the period. Legacy Trust raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 27.0% in the third quarter. Legacy Trust now owns 8,027 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,200,000 after purchasing an additional 1,709 shares during the period. Warburton Capital Management LLC raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 5.7% in the third quarter. Warburton Capital Management LLC now owns 1,703 shares of the company’s stock valued at $246,000 after purchasing an additional 92 shares during the period. Tortoise Investment Management LLC raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 6.5% in the third quarter. Tortoise Investment Management LLC now owns 3,688 shares of the company’s stock valued at $536,000 after purchasing an additional 226 shares during the period. Finally, Werba Rubin Papier Wealth Management raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 6.6% in the third quarter. Werba Rubin Papier Wealth Management now owns 5,560 shares of the company’s stock valued at $808,000 after purchasing an additional 346 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Key Merck & Co., Inc. News

These are some of the MRK news items that stood out recently:

• Positive Sentiment: Merck and Moderna plan to file their personalized cancer vaccine, intismeran, with Keytruda this year. The combination reduced the risk of melanoma recurrence or death by 42%, a potentially important growth opportunity if supported by upcoming data and regulatory review. Article: Merck’s Keytruda Combo Cut Melanoma Recurrence or Death Risk 42%. What the February 2 Report Has to Prove
• Neutral Sentiment: Merck is scheduled to participate in the Jefferies Global Healthcare Conference in London. The appearance could provide investors with updates, but the announcement itself gives no new financial or clinical information. Article: Merck to Participate in the Jefferies Global Healthcare Conference in London
• Negative Sentiment: Potential U.S. drug-price negotiations are a longer-term risk for Merck, with the article describing the company as facing a bigger test in coming years. Article: EXCLUSIVE: Lilly, Gilead Face Near-Term Drug Pricing Risks As Washington Turns Up Heat

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of MRK stock opened at $146.98 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $362.34 billion, a PE ratio of 151.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.75 and a beta of 0.13. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $146.25 and a 200-day simple moving average of $128.41. The company has a current ratio of 1.35, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11. Merck & Co., Inc. has a twelve month low of $90.90 and a twelve month high of $156.92.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 29th. The company reported $2.49 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.09 by $0.40. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 3.64% and a return on equity of 16.73%. The business had revenue of $18.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $17.33 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.58 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.82 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have commented on MRK shares. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $179.00 to $177.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 7th. Freedom Broker increased their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, November 2nd. Zacks Research lowered Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Monday, October 19th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, September 4th. Finally, Berenberg Bank boosted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $127.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, September 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $155.74.

Merck & Co., Inc. Company Profile

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.