Profund Advisors LLC Has $3.22 Million Position in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Profund Advisors LLC trimmed its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 5.4% in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 40,622 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,334 shares during the quarter. Profund Advisors LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $3,216,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Summit X LLC increased its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 21.5% during the 2nd quarter. Summit X LLC now owns 3,639 shares of the company’s stock worth $288,000 after purchasing an additional 644 shares in the last quarter. Roberts Glore & Co. Inc. IL raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 16.6% in the 2nd quarter. Roberts Glore & Co. Inc. IL now owns 5,485 shares of the company’s stock valued at $434,000 after buying an additional 780 shares during the last quarter. PFG Advisors lifted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 14.0% during the 2nd quarter. PFG Advisors now owns 36,085 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,857,000 after acquiring an additional 4,432 shares in the last quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT grew its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.3% in the 2nd quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT now owns 5,591 shares of the company’s stock worth $443,000 after acquiring an additional 178 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Midwest Trust Co purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the second quarter valued at about $58,120,000. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday. Citigroup initiated coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Monday, October 13th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $95.00 price target for the company. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $97.00 to $90.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 30th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $98.00 to $100.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, November 3rd. Finally, Berenberg Bank lowered shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and reduced their price objective for the company from $100.00 to $90.00 in a research note on Wednesday, September 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $104.47.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP David Michael Williams sold 8,614 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $83.59, for a total value of $720,044.26. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 24,578 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,054,475.02. This trade represents a 25.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 0.13% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $86.34 on Monday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $84.59 and its 200-day moving average price is $82.08. The firm has a market capitalization of $214.30 billion, a PE ratio of 13.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.95 and a beta of 0.34. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12 month low of $73.31 and a 12 month high of $105.07. The company has a current ratio of 1.42, a quick ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $2.58 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.36 by $0.22. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 25.79% and a return on equity of 41.05%. The company had revenue of $17.28 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $17 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.57 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 3.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2025 guidance at 8.930-8.980 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Company 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.