AIMZ Investment Advisors LLC Buys 298 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

AIMZ Investment Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 1.1% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 26,898 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 298 shares during the quarter. AIMZ Investment Advisors LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $2,414,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of MRK. Brighton Jones LLC raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 29.5% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 38,278 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,808,000 after purchasing an additional 8,710 shares in the last quarter. American Assets Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter valued at $398,000. Topsail Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter valued at $213,000. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC increased its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 13.3% in the 4th quarter. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC now owns 442,414 shares of the company’s stock valued at $44,011,000 after purchasing an additional 52,061 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Coldstream Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 8.4% during the 4th quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 111,005 shares of the company’s stock worth $11,043,000 after buying an additional 8,606 shares in the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of MRK opened at $87.1830 on Friday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12-month low of $73.31 and a 12-month high of $120.30. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $81.64 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $83.07. The company has a quick ratio of 1.17, a current ratio of 1.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The stock has a market cap of $217.76 billion, a PE ratio of 13.43, a PEG ratio of 0.92 and a beta of 0.38.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 29th. The company reported $2.13 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.03 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $15.81 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.92 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 41.05% and a net margin of 25.79%. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2025 guidance at 8.870-8.970 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 7th. Investors of record on Monday, September 15th will be given a dividend of $0.81 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 15th. This represents a $3.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.7%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 49.92%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently weighed in on MRK shares. Cantor Fitzgerald downgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from an “overweight” rating to a “cautious” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 20th. Citigroup reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $84.00 target price (down previously from $115.00) on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Wednesday, May 14th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $97.00 to $90.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 30th. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $99.00 to $98.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $107.44.

Merck & Co., Inc. Profile

Merck & Co, Inc is a health care company, which engages in the provision of health solutions through its prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies, animal health, and consumer care products. It operates through the following segments: Pharmaceutical, Animal Health, and Other. The Pharmaceutical segment includes human health pharmaceutical and vaccine products.