Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKKGY) Shares Gap Up on Better-Than-Expected Earnings

Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKKGY)’s stock price gapped up before the market opened on Thursday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The stock had previously closed at $26.90, but opened at $28.15. Merck KGaA shares last traded at $28.28, with a volume of 9,036 shares traded.

The company reported $0.81 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.50 by $0.31. Merck KGaA had a return on equity of 9.78% and a net margin of 13.49%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently commented on MKKGY. Barclays downgraded Merck KGaA from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 19th. Zacks Research raised Merck KGaA to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, August 8th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

Merck KGaA Stock Performance

The business has a 50-day moving average price of $26.25 and a 200-day moving average price of $26.23. The company has a quick ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 1.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22. The firm has a market capitalization of $18.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.88, a P/E/G ratio of 3.23 and a beta of 0.96.

About Merck KGaA

Merck KGaA operates as a science and technology company in Germany. It operates through Life Science, Healthcare, and Electronics segments. The company’s Life Science segment offers tools, chemicals, and equipment for academic labs, biotech, and pharmaceutical manufacturers, as well as industrial sector.