William Blair Investment Management LLC Buys 10,863 Shares of Merit Medical Systems, Inc. $MMSI

William Blair Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in Merit Medical Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:MMSI) by 1.3% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 874,859 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after purchasing an additional 10,863 shares during the quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Merit Medical Systems were worth $77,110,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Maseco LLP bought a new stake in shares of Merit Medical Systems in the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Torren Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Merit Medical Systems in the fourth quarter worth $38,000. Covestor Ltd grew its stake in shares of Merit Medical Systems by 252.6% in the fourth quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 469 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 336 shares during the last quarter. Danske Bank A S bought a new stake in shares of Merit Medical Systems in the third quarter worth $42,000. Finally, Quarry LP grew its stake in shares of Merit Medical Systems by 185.9% in the third quarter. Quarry LP now owns 526 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $44,000 after purchasing an additional 342 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 99.66% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Brian G. Lloyd purchased 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 7th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $62.62 per share, with a total value of $125,240.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 2,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $125,240. The trade was a ∞ increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Lynne N. Ward sold 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $62.61, for a total transaction of $313,050.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 7,809 shares in the company, valued at $488,921.49. This trade represents a 39.04% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

Merit Medical Systems Stock Performance

Shares of MMSI opened at $64.17 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 5.08, a quick ratio of 3.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 0.58. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $66.86 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $77.72. Merit Medical Systems, Inc. has a 12 month low of $59.74 and a 12 month high of $97.18.

Merit Medical Systems (NASDAQ:MMSI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The medical instruments supplier reported $0.94 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.84 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $381.88 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $377.59 million. Merit Medical Systems had a net margin of 9.03% and a return on equity of 13.54%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.86 earnings per share. Merit Medical Systems has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.010-4.150 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Merit Medical Systems, Inc. will post 3.61 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently weighed in on MMSI shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of Merit Medical Systems from $95.00 to $77.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Merit Medical Systems from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Sunday, April 5th. Needham & Company LLC reduced their price objective on shares of Merit Medical Systems from $101.00 to $90.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Piper Sandler reduced their price objective on shares of Merit Medical Systems from $106.00 to $96.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Finally, Barrington Research reduced their price objective on shares of Merit Medical Systems from $109.00 to $107.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Merit Medical Systems presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $92.80.

About Merit Medical Systems

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.