23,750 Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Shares Sold by PBU The Pension Fund of Early Childhood & Youth Educators

PBU The Pension Fund of Early Childhood & Youth Educators decreased its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 12.7% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 163,839 shares of the company’s stock after selling 23,750 shares during the period. PBU The Pension Fund of Early Childhood & Youth Educators’ holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $23,807,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vestor Capital LLC increased its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 16,530.7% in the 3rd quarter. Vestor Capital LLC now owns 27,607 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,012,000 after buying an additional 27,441 shares during the period. Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC purchased a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $11,470,000. Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.0% during the 2nd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 2,578,024 shares of the company’s stock worth $331,931,000 after buying an additional 51,393 shares during the last quarter. Cardinal Capital Management raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.6% during the 3rd quarter. Cardinal Capital Management now owns 99,742 shares of the company’s stock worth $14,578,000 after buying an additional 3,507 shares during the last quarter. Finally, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lifted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 12.3% during the 2nd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 2,073,176 shares of the company’s stock valued at $266,403,000 after acquiring an additional 227,589 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MRK has been the subject of several research reports. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $145.00 to $175.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 20th. Berenberg Bank increased their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $127.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, September 11th. Citigroup raised their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, October 12th. Wolfe Research raised their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $155.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 25th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, September 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $155.74.

Merck & Co., Inc. News Roundup

Here’s some of the latest news about MRK:

• Positive Sentiment: Phase 2b results for efinopegdutide showed statistically significant MASH resolution without worsening fibrosis. The data add to investor optimism about Merck’s pipeline beyond Keytruda. Article: Merck (MRK) Could Be 7% Undervalued As MASH Trial Data Lifts Optimism
• 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: Merck is among drugmakers facing a looming patent cliff, which could pressure sales and helps explain the focus on dividend income and pipeline growth. Article: Americans Fill Prescriptions Every Month, and $90,000 Across These 3 Drugmakers Pays $3,650 a Year

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 0.1%

Shares of MRK opened at $146.98 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $362.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 151.52, a PEG ratio of 6.75 and a beta of 0.13. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52 week low of $90.90 and a 52 week high of $156.92. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $146.25 and its 200-day moving average price is $128.41. The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11.

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