12,288 Shares in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Bought by KB Financial Partners LLC

KB Financial Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 12,288 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,307,000. Merck & Co., Inc. accounts for approximately 0.4% of KB Financial Partners LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 22nd largest position.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Kepos Capital LP purchased a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter valued at $36,000. Ruedi Wealth Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter worth about $39,000. Horizon Bancorp Inc. IN purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter worth about $49,000. Kalos Management Inc. bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $64,000. Finally, Financial Connections Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 47.1% in the 4th quarter. Financial Connections Group Inc. now owns 718 shares of the company’s stock worth $79,000 after purchasing an additional 230 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.59% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Up 0.4 %

Shares of NYSE:MRK opened at $109.03 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 1.28 and a quick ratio of 1.03. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $108.09 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $110.38. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1 year low of $84.52 and a 1 year high of $119.65. The firm has a market capitalization of $276.67 billion, a PE ratio of 89.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.26 and a beta of 0.33.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, August 1st. The company reported ($2.06) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($2.18) by $0.12. The firm had revenue of $15.04 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.44 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 5.34% and a return on equity of 16.29%. The business’s revenue was up 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.87 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 3.03 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 6th. Investors of record on Friday, September 15th will be paid a $0.73 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, September 14th. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.68%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 239.34%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on MRK shares. StockNews.com cut shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 31st. HSBC initiated coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Friday, July 14th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $123.00 price target on the stock. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $102.00 to $113.00 in a research report on Tuesday, July 18th. TheStreet downgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from an “a-” rating to a “c+” rating in a research report on Friday, September 1st. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $109.00 to $116.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 2nd. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $124.74.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Steven Mizell sold 4,250 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $109.01, for a total value of $463,292.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 22,935 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,500,144.35. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 0.20% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Merck & Co., Inc. Company Profile

Merck & Co, Inc operates as a healthcare company worldwide. It operates through two segments, Pharmaceutical and Animal Health. The Pharmaceutical segment offers human health pharmaceutical products in the areas of oncology, hospital acute care, immunology, neuroscience, virology, cardiovascular, and diabetes, as well as vaccine products, such as preventive pediatric, adolescent, and adult vaccines.