Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) Plans Quarterly Dividend of $0.85

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) announced a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, July 29th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be paid a dividend of 0.85 per share on Wednesday, October 7th. This represents a c) dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 15th.

Merck & Co., Inc. has raised its dividend by an average of 0.1%per year over the last three years and has increased its dividend every year for the last 14 years. Merck & Co., Inc. has a dividend payout ratio of 35.0% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities analysts expect Merck & Co., Inc. to earn $9.72 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $3.40 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 35.0%.

Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Down 1.0%

Shares of NYSE:MRK opened at $130.45 on Thursday. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 52-week low of $77.53 and a 52-week high of $135.05. The stock has a market cap of $322.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.23 and a beta of 0.19. The business’s 50 day moving average is $122.73 and its 200 day moving average is $118.24. The company has a quick ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($1.47) by $0.19. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 27.55% and a net margin of 13.59%.The business had revenue of $16.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.85 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.22 EPS. Merck & Co., Inc.’s revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 2.74 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Merck & Co., Inc.

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MRK. Kingdom Financial Group LLC. acquired a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Abound Financial LLC purchased a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Prosperity Bancshares Inc acquired a new position in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. High Note Wealth LLC increased its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 58.9% during the 4th quarter. High Note Wealth LLC now owns 294 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 109 shares during the last quarter. Finally, IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. 76.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Merck & Co., Inc.

Merck & Co, Inc is a global biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery, development, manufacture and marketing of prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies and animal health products. Its portfolio spans multiple therapeutic areas with a particular emphasis on oncology, vaccines and infectious disease, as well as therapies for metabolic and chronic conditions. Among its well-known products are the cancer immunotherapy Keytruda (pembrolizumab) and the human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil; the company also markets a range of medicines and vaccines for veterinary use through Merck Animal Health.

Founded in the late 19th century as the U.S.