Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Given “Neutral” Rating at Cantor Fitzgerald

Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed their neutral rating on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) in a report issued on Monday,Benzinga reports. Cantor Fitzgerald currently has a $120.00 price objective on the stock.

MRK has been the subject of a number of other reports. CICC Research began coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $138.00 price objective for the company. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $145.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 1st. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday. Citigroup began coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $125.00 price target for the company. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, April 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $131.83.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance

Shares of MRK traded up $1.68 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $128.46. 687,998 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 11,075,006. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $117.37 and its 200-day simple moving average is $115.47. The firm has a market cap of $317.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.19. The company has a quick ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52 week low of $76.66 and a 52 week high of $130.29.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($1.47) by $0.19. The company had revenue of $16.29 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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 quarterly revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.22 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 5.19 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Merck & Co., Inc.

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Kingdom Financial Group LLC. purchased a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Abound Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Prosperity Bancshares Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. United Financial Planning Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, High Note Wealth LLC increased its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 58.9% during the 4th quarter. High Note Wealth LLC now owns 294 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 109 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

About Merck & Co., Inc.

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.