Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK Stake Lessened by Atlanta Consulting Group Advisors LLC

Atlanta Consulting Group Advisors LLC trimmed its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 42.3% in the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 5,366 shares of the company’s stock after selling 3,930 shares during the period. Atlanta Consulting Group Advisors LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $429,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey raised its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.6% during the 2nd quarter. Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey now owns 382,594 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,286,000 after buying an additional 13,126 shares in the last quarter. Bailard Inc. lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 18.8% in the 2nd quarter. Bailard Inc. now owns 59,085 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,677,000 after acquiring an additional 9,336 shares in the last quarter. Renasant Bank grew its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 312.3% during the second quarter. Renasant Bank now owns 10,517 shares of the company’s stock valued at $833,000 after buying an additional 7,966 shares in the last quarter. Everett Harris & Co. CA lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 4.1% in the second quarter. Everett Harris & Co. CA now owns 219,487 shares of the company’s stock worth $17,375,000 after purchasing an additional 8,712 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Kelleher Financial Advisors grew its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 60.1% during the 2nd quarter. Kelleher Financial Advisors now owns 10,307 shares of the company’s stock valued at $816,000 after acquiring an additional 3,871 shares in the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of NYSE MRK opened at $91.43 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $226.94 billion, a PE ratio of 14.09, a PEG ratio of 0.95 and a beta of 0.34. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $84.90 and a 200 day moving average price of $82.25. 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. has a 1-year low of $73.31 and a 1-year high of $105.07.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $2.58 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.36 by $0.22. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 41.05% and a net margin of 25.79%.The firm had revenue of $17.28 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $17 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.57 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly 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. Research analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have commented on the stock. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $98.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, November 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $97.00 to $90.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 30th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Citigroup started coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Monday, October 13th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $95.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Berenberg Bank lowered Merck & Co., Inc. from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and reduced their price objective for the stock 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 assigned a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $104.47.

Insider Buying and Selling at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, EVP David Michael Williams sold 8,614 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, November 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $83.59, for a total transaction of $720,044.26. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 24,578 shares in the company, valued at $2,054,475.02. This trade represents a 25.95% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company’s stock.

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.