Ascentis Independent Advisors Purchases Shares of 7,336 Merit Medical Systems, Inc. $MMSI

Ascentis Independent Advisors purchased a new position in shares of Merit Medical Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:MMSI) during the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund purchased 7,336 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock, valued at approximately $506,000.

Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Merit Medical Systems by 7.3% during the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 16,361 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $1,730,000 after buying an additional 1,114 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Merit Medical Systems by 16.9% in the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 719,313 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $76,039,000 after buying an additional 103,878 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Merit Medical Systems by 745.9% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 922 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $86,000 after acquiring an additional 813 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its stake in shares of Merit Medical Systems by 24.8% in the 2nd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 59,215 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $5,535,000 after acquiring an additional 11,770 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cerity Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Merit Medical Systems by 9.1% during the 2nd quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 3,019 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $282,000 after acquiring an additional 251 shares during the period. 99.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Merit Medical Systems Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ MMSI opened at $71.46 on Friday. Merit Medical Systems, Inc. has a 1 year low of $59.74 and a 1 year high of $96.74. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.94, a P/E/G ratio of 2.21 and a beta of 0.52. The company’s 50-day moving average is $65.73 and its 200 day moving average is $73.12. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 5.08 and a quick ratio of 3.46.

Merit Medical Systems (NASDAQ:MMSI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.94 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.84 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $381.88 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $377.59 million. Merit Medical Systems had a net margin of 9.03% and a return on equity of 13.54%. Merit Medical Systems’s quarterly revenue was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.86 earnings per share. Merit Medical Systems has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.010-4.150 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Merit Medical Systems, Inc. will post 3.62 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Brian G. Lloyd bought 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 7th. The stock was bought at an average price of $62.62 per share, for a total transaction of $125,240.00. Following the purchase, the insider directly owned 2,000 shares in the company, valued at $125,240. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Lynne N. Ward sold 5,000 shares of Merit Medical Systems stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $62.61, for a total value of $313,050.00. Following the sale, the director owned 7,809 shares in the company, valued at $488,921.49. This represents a 39.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Canaccord Genuity Group reduced their price target on Merit Medical Systems from $90.00 to $85.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Robert W. Baird set a $83.00 price objective on Merit Medical Systems in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on shares of Merit Medical Systems from $78.00 to $74.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 1st. Compass Point set a $107.00 target price on shares of Merit Medical Systems in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Finally, Citigroup reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Merit Medical Systems in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Merit Medical Systems presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $92.80.

Merit Medical Systems Company Profile

Merit Medical Systems, Inc is a global manufacturer and marketer of a broad range of medical devices used in diagnostic and interventional procedures. The company’s product portfolio encompasses vascular access, drainage, embolotherapy, and interventional oncology devices, as well as radiofrequency ablation systems and hemostasis solutions. These products serve physicians and hospitals in critical care settings and support minimally invasive treatment options across multiple specialties, including cardiology, radiology, oncology, neurology and endoscopy.

Founded in 1987 by Fred Lampropoulos, Merit Medical Systems has grown through both organic development and targeted acquisitions to expand its technology offerings and geographic reach.