Bank Pictet & Cie Europe AG Decreases Holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Bank Pictet & Cie Europe AG trimmed its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 36.4% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 349,292 shares of the company’s stock after selling 199,923 shares during the quarter. Bank Pictet & Cie Europe AG’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $29,316,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in MRK. True Wealth Design LLC lifted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 219.0% in the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 2,817 shares of the company’s stock worth $236,000 after purchasing an additional 1,934 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Management Associates Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 5.5% in the third quarter. Wealth Management Associates Inc. now owns 11,886 shares of the company’s stock worth $998,000 after buying an additional 622 shares during the period. Financial Consulate Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the 3rd quarter valued at about $744,000. Salomon & Ludwin LLC boosted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 23.6% during the 3rd quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 2,288 shares of the company’s stock valued at $204,000 after acquiring an additional 437 shares during the period. Finally, Ninety One SA PTY Ltd bought a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $1,662,000. Institutional investors own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Down 0.8%

Shares of MRK opened at $105.20 on Friday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1-year low of $73.31 and a 1-year high of $107.59. The company has a current ratio of 1.66, a quick ratio of 1.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $96.98 and its 200-day moving average price is $87.76. The firm has a market capitalization of $261.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.90, a PEG ratio of 1.00 and a beta of 0.29.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 30th. The company reported $1.94 earnings per share for the quarter. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 44.54% and a net margin of 29.63%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 EPS for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 8th. Investors of record on Monday, December 15th will be paid a $0.85 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 15th. This is a positive change from Merck & Co., Inc.’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.81. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.2%. Merck & Co., Inc.’s payout ratio is currently 44.91%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have commented on MRK shares. Scotiabank lifted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “sector outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 4th. BMO Capital Markets raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $82.00 to $130.00 in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $110.00 to $111.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 18th. Citigroup initiated coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Monday, October 13th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $95.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Berenberg Bank downgraded shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and lowered their price objective for the company from $100.00 to $90.00 in a research note on Wednesday, September 17th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $110.13.

Insider Transactions 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 value of $720,044.26. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 24,578 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,054,475.02. This 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 can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Company Profile

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.