Czech National Bank Has $54.56 Million Position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK)

Czech National Bank grew its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 6.2% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 548,475 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 32,108 shares during the period. Merck & Co., Inc. makes up approximately 0.5% of Czech National Bank’s holdings, making the stock its 27th biggest position. Czech National Bank’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $54,562,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Jupiter Asset Management Ltd. bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $375,000. William Blair Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 2nd quarter worth $29,501,000. Lyell Wealth Management LP increased its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 7.7% during the second quarter. Lyell Wealth Management LP now owns 6,562 shares of the company’s stock valued at $812,000 after acquiring an additional 467 shares during the period. Williams Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the second quarter valued at approximately $3,803,000. Finally, Seven Mile Advisory lifted its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 2.3% in the second quarter. Seven Mile Advisory now owns 4,743 shares of the company’s stock worth $587,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of MRK stock opened at $99.34 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.79. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12-month low of $94.48 and a 12-month high of $134.63. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $100.18 and a 200-day moving average of $110.57. The firm has a market capitalization of $251.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.47 and a beta of 0.39.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 31st. The company reported $1.57 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.50 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $16.66 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.47 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 36.42% and a net margin of 19.23%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.13 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 7.73 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 8th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 16th were given a dividend of $0.81 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 16th. This represents a $3.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.26%. This is an increase from Merck & Co., Inc.’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.77. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio is 67.92%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $155.00 price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Thursday, October 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $110.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, November 1st. Hsbc Global Res upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 4th. Truist Financial reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $110.00 price target (down from $130.00) on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. Finally, Guggenheim cut their price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $137.00 to $130.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, November 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and four have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Merck & Co., Inc. has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $124.00.

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.