Dupree Financial Group LLC Increases Position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK)

Dupree Financial Group LLC raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 4.1% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 4,924 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 194 shares during the period. Dupree Financial Group LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $490,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Algert Global LLC purchased a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 2nd quarter worth about $325,000. AMF Tjanstepension AB increased its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 114.2% during the third quarter. AMF Tjanstepension AB now owns 802,384 shares of the company’s stock worth $91,205,000 after purchasing an additional 427,831 shares during the last quarter. Czech National Bank raised its stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 7.0% in the 3rd quarter. Czech National Bank now owns 516,367 shares of the company’s stock valued at $58,639,000 after acquiring an additional 33,717 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 15.2% during the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 45,418 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,158,000 after acquiring an additional 6,007 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Azzad Asset Management Inc. ADV raised its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 1.4% during the third quarter. Azzad Asset Management Inc. ADV now owns 44,373 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,039,000 after buying an additional 603 shares in the last quarter. 76.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Merck & Co., Inc. Trading Up 1.0 %

NYSE MRK opened at $99.79 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $99.83 and a two-hundred day moving average of $107.54. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52 week low of $94.48 and a 52 week high of $134.63. The company has a quick ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.79. The stock has a market capitalization of $252.42 billion, a PE ratio of 20.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.20 and a beta of 0.38.

Merck & Co., Inc. declared that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase plan on Tuesday, January 28th that allows the company to repurchase $10.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the company to reacquire up to 4.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are usually a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 7th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 17th will be given a $0.81 dividend. This represents a $3.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.25%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 17th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio is presently 67.92%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $110.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, November 1st. Hsbc Global Res raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 4th. Citigroup decreased their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $130.00 to $125.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 28th. Bank of America reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $121.00 price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Tuesday, December 10th. Finally, Truist Financial reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $110.00 target price (down from $130.00) on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and three have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $122.67.

Merck & Co., Inc. 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.