Rep. Gilbert Ray Cisneros, Jr. Sells Off Shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK)

Representative Gilbert Ray Cisneros, Jr. (D-California) recently sold shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK). In a filing disclosed on February 11th, the Representative disclosed that they had sold between $1,001 and $15,000 in Merck & Co., Inc. stock on January 24th. The trade occurred in the Representative’s “150 MAIN STREET TRUST > BANK OF AMERICA” account.

Representative Gilbert Ray Cisneros, Jr. also recently made the following trade(s):

• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of ICF International (NASDAQ:ICFI) on 2/3/2025.
• Purchased $15,001 – $50,000 in shares of CACI International (NYSE:CACI) on 1/31/2025.
• Purchased $50,001 – $100,000 in shares of Hawaiian Electric Industries (NYSE:HE) on 1/31/2025.
• Sold $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Broadcom (NASDAQ:AVGO) on 1/30/2025.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ:ISRG) on 1/30/2025.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Agios Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:AGIO) on 1/29/2025.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of SpringWorks Therapeutics (NASDAQ:SWTX) on 1/29/2025.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Paragon 28 (NYSE:FNA) on 1/29/2025.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of U.S. Physical Therapy (NYSE:USPH) on 1/29/2025.
• Purchased $1,001 – $15,000 in shares of Crinetics Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:CRNX) on 1/29/2025.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 1.0 %

Shares of MRK opened at $85.71 on Thursday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12-month low of $85.61 and a 12-month high of $134.63. The company has a current ratio of 1.36, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.79. The company has a market capitalization of $216.82 billion, a PE ratio of 12.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.83 and a beta of 0.38. The business’s 50 day moving average is $98.14 and its 200 day moving average is $105.79.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 4th. The company reported $1.72 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 company had revenue of $15.62 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.51 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.03 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 6.8% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 9.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 7th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 17th will be paid a $0.81 dividend. This represents a $3.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.78%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 17th. Merck & Co., Inc.’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 48.14%.

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Merck & Co., Inc.

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Midwest Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Financial Life Planners bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Noble Wealth Management PBC purchased a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Promus Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. 76.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MRK has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Truist Financial reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $110.00 price target (down previously from $130.00) on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. BMO Capital Markets decreased their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $105.00 to $96.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 5th. Citigroup cut their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $115.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 5th. Sanford C. Bernstein assumed coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Thursday, October 17th. They issued a “market perform” rating and a $115.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on Merck & Co., Inc. from $113.00 to $106.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and three have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Merck & Co., Inc. presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $117.06.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Inge G. Thulin purchased 2,833 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 6th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $88.25 per share, for a total transaction of $250,012.25. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 2,933 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $258,837.25. This trade represents a 2,833.00 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Cristal N. Downing sold 2,361 shares of the 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 approximately $628,864.60. This trade represents a 24.99 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.09% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

About Representative Cisneros

Gil Cisneros (Democratic Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing California’s 31st Congressional District. He assumed office on January 3, 2025. His current term ends on January 3, 2027.

Cisneros (Democratic Party) is running for re-election to the U.S. House to represent California’s 31st Congressional District. He declared candidacy for the 2026 election.

Gil Cisneros served in the U.S. Navy as a supply officer from 1994 to 2004. Cisneros earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from George Washington University in 1994, a master’s in business administration from Regis University in 2002, and a master’s degree in urban education policy from Brown University in 2015. His career experience includes working as a logistics manager for Frito-Lay. In 2010, Cisneros won the lottery and became involved in activism and philanthropy, founding a scholarship program for local high school students. In 2021, President Joe Biden (D) appointed Cisneros as under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness.

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.