Stock Update: Merck & Co Inc (NYSE:MRK) – Merck Announces Third-Quarter 2016 Dividend

[Business Wire] – Merck , known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced that the Board of Directors has declared a quarterly dividend of $0.46 per share of the company’s common stock for the third quarter of 2016. Read more on this. Merck & Co. Inc. (MRK) , with a current value of $153.90B, started trading this morning at $55.23. Looking at today’s market, MRK one day range is $55.18 to $55.88 and has traded between $45.69 and $61.70 over the past 12 months. MRK shares are currently priced at 14.80x this year’s forecasted earnings, which makes them relatively expensive compared to the industry’s 5.55x earnings multiple for the same period. And for passive income investors, the company pays shareholders $1.84 per share annually in dividends, yielding 3.35%. In a review of the consensus earnings estimate this quarter, 16 sell-side analysts are looking at $0.91 per share, which would be $0.05 better than the year-ago quarter and a $0.01 sequential increase. Furthermore, our analysis shows the full-year EPS estimate to be $3.71, which would be a $0.12 better when compared to the last year’s annual results. The quarterly earnings estimate is predicated on a consensus revenue forecast of $9.77 Billion. If reported, that would be a 0.10% decrease over the year-ago quarter. Recently, Societe Generale Initiated MRK at Buy (Apr 6, 2016). Previously, BofA/Merrill downgraded MRK from Buy to Neutral. Given all the information above, we should disclose to readers that the average price target is $61.55, which is 11.44% above than it opened this morning. See more in (NYSE:MRK) Similar Articles: Stock Update: Merck & Co Inc (NYSE:MRK) – Merck Statement on Blueprint Project Findings Presented at the American Association for Cancer Research 2016 Annual Meeting Market Update (NYSE:MRK): Merck to Present New Data for KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab) at the American Association for Cancer Research 2016 Annual Meeting Stock Update: Merck & Co Inc (NYSE:MRK) – Merck Announces FDA Acceptance of Biologics License Application for Bezlotoxumab, an Investigational Antitoxin for Prevention of Clostridium Difficile Infection Recurrence