Tcfg Wealth Management LLC Sells 256 Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK)

Tcfg Wealth Management LLC lessened its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) by 2.2% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 11,140 shares of the company’s stock after selling 256 shares during the period. Tcfg Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $1,108,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Sheaff Brock Investment Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.6% during the fourth quarter. Sheaff Brock Investment Advisors LLC now owns 127,124 shares of the company’s stock worth $12,646,000 after purchasing an additional 4,390 shares during the last quarter. Strategic Financial Concepts LLC bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter worth $2,990,000. Allworth Financial LP boosted its holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. by 31.8% in the fourth quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 91,250 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,731,000 after acquiring an additional 22,006 shares during the last quarter. Centerpoint Advisory Group bought a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter valued at about $280,000. Finally, bLong Financial LLC bought a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter valued at about $2,018,000. Institutional investors own 76.07% of the company’s stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 1.7 %

Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $83.01 on Friday. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $97.04 and its 200 day simple moving average is $105.19. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52-week low of $82.09 and a 52-week high of $134.63. The firm has a market cap of $209.99 billion, a PE ratio of 12.33, a P/E/G ratio of 0.83 and a beta of 0.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a current ratio of 1.36.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The company reported $1.72 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.85 by ($0.13). Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 26.67% and a return on equity of 45.35%. The firm had revenue of $15.62 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.51 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.03 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 6.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 7th. Investors 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 yield of 3.90%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 17th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio is presently 48.14%.

Merck & Co., Inc. declared that its board has authorized a share buyback plan on Tuesday, January 28th that authorizes the company to repurchase $10.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to purchase up to 4.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on MRK shares. Daiwa Capital Markets cut Merck & Co., Inc. from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, November 11th. HSBC upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $130.00 price target on the stock in a report on Wednesday, December 4th. TD Cowen cut Merck & Co., Inc. from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and decreased their price target for the company from $121.00 to $100.00 in a report on Monday, February 10th. Daiwa America cut Merck & Co., Inc. from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, November 11th. Finally, TD Securities cut Merck & Co., Inc. from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and decreased their price target for the company from $121.00 to $100.00 in a report on Monday, February 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and three have issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $117.06.

Insider Activity at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, insider Cristal N. Downing sold 2,361 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $88.76, for a total value of $209,562.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 7,085 shares in the company, valued at $628,864.60. This trade represents a 24.99 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Inge G. Thulin purchased 2,833 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 6th. The stock was bought at an average price of $88.25 per share, with a total value of $250,012.25. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 2,933 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $258,837.25. This represents a 2,833.00 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 0.09% of the stock is owned by insiders.

About Merck & Co., Inc.

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.