Friday, June 24, 2011

BUYING SHARES OF MERCK & CO. INC.

It's been a slow investment week for me, although I did put in an order to purchase shares of Merck & Co. Inc. (MRK) for my IRA account.  Their price is down from the 52 week high of $37.68, their current price being $34.55.  With the economy and the stock market slowing I thought now would be a good time to pick up shares.  They have a current dividend payout of $1.52 which represents a 4.40% payout on their current price per share.  While they stand to lose some in sales due to expiring patents I believe the earnings per share will still be good going forward, with their strong Research and Development Department and share repurchases.  

I've owned shares of Merck before in my taxable account and made a tidy profit, both from dividends and capital gains.  This time around I'm taking a buy and hold approach, so I'll be investing for the long term.   

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