Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) had its price target decreased by Credit Suisse Group from $67.00 to $66.00 in a research report issued on Monday. The brokerage currently has an “outperform” rating on the stock. Credit Suisse Group’s price target would suggest a potential upside of 12.34% from the company’s previous close.
A number of other brokerages have also commented on MRK. SunTrust Banks upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their target price for the company from $54.00 to $72.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 16th. BMO Capital Markets set a $70.00 target price on Merck & Co., Inc. and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 11th. Jefferies Group reiterated a “sell” rating and issued a $55.00 target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Friday, October 20th. Leerink Swann dropped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $70.00 to $69.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, October 30th. Finally, ValuEngine upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 10th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have issued a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. The stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $66.59.
Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) traded up $0.19 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $58.75. The stock had a trading volume of 3,811,655 shares, compared to its average volume of 13,225,089. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 1-year low of $53.63 and a 1-year high of $66.80. The stock has a market capitalization of $157,400.00, a price-to-earnings ratio of 63.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 0.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 1.43 and a quick ratio of 1.16.
Merck & Co., Inc. declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback plan on Tuesday, November 28th that authorizes the company to repurchase $10.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to purchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are usually a sign that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.
In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, Director Thomas H. Glocer sold 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $56.20, for a total value of $281,000.00. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Weir Mirian M. Graddick sold 60,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $61.63, for a total value of $3,697,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 101,484 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,254,458.92. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 82,500 shares of company stock valued at $5,039,175 over the last three months. 0.25% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.
Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in MRK. Perennial Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 10.7% during the 2nd quarter. Perennial Advisors LLC now owns 1,626 shares of the company’s stock worth $104,000 after buying an additional 157 shares during the period. Stelac Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $104,000. NewSquare Capital LLC raised its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 728.3% during the 3rd quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 14,801 shares of the company’s stock worth $115,000 after buying an additional 13,014 shares during the period. Solaris Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 6.3% during the 2nd quarter. Solaris Asset Management LLC now owns 1,940 shares of the company’s stock worth $124,000 after buying an additional 115 shares during the period. Finally, Barnett & Company Inc. raised its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 481.6% during the 2nd quarter. Barnett & Company Inc. now owns 2,053 shares of the company’s stock worth $132,000 after buying an additional 1,700 shares during the period. 73.24% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
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About Merck & Co., Inc.
Merck & Co, Inc is a global healthcare company. The Company offers health solutions through its prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies and animal health products. It operates through four segments: Pharmaceutical, Animal Health, Healthcare Services and Alliances. The Company’s Pharmaceutical segment includes human health pharmaceutical and vaccine products marketed either directly by the Company or through joint ventures.
