Is Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) worth your attention right now? Prominent investors are in a pessimistic mood. The number of bullish hedge fund bets fell by 1 in recent months.
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With these “truths” under our belt, it’s important to take a glance at the latest action encompassing Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK).
How have hedgies been trading Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK)?
At the end of the fourth quarter, a total of 58 of the hedge funds we track were bullish in this stock, a change of -2% from the previous quarter. With the smart money’s sentiment swirling, there exists an “upper tier” of notable hedge fund managers who were boosting their stakes considerably.
Of the funds we track, Adage Capital Management, managed by Phill Gross and Robert Atchinson, holds the biggest position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK). Adage Capital Management has a $151 million position in the stock, comprising 0.6% of its 13F portfolio. Coming in second is Ric Dillon of Diamond Hill Capital, with a $130 million position; the fund has 1.5% of its 13F portfolio invested in the stock. Other hedge funds with similar optimism include Cliff Asness’s AQR Capital Management, John A. Levin’s Levin Capital Strategies and Samuel Isaly’s OrbiMed Advisors.
Judging by the fact that Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) has experienced bearish sentiment from hedge fund managers, we can see that there were a few hedgies who sold off their entire stakes at the end of the year. Intriguingly, Sean Cullinan’s Point State Capital dropped the biggest stake of the “upper crust” of funds we monitor, worth an estimated $292 million in stock., and Donald Chiboucis of Columbus Circle Investors was right behind this move, as the fund dumped about $72 million worth. These moves are interesting, as total hedge fund interest fell by 1 funds at the end of the year.
Insider trading activity in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK)
Insider trading activity, especially when it’s bullish, is most useful when the company we’re looking at has seen transactions within the past 180 days. Over the latest 180-day time period, Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) has seen zero unique insiders purchasing, and 3 insider sales (see the details of insider trades here).
With the results demonstrated by our tactics, retail investors must always keep an eye on hedge fund and insider trading sentiment, and Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) is no exception.
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