Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKKGY) Posts Earnings Results, Misses Expectations By $0.21 EPS

Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKKGY) issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The company reported $0.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.47 by ($0.21), Zacks reports. Merck KGaA had a net margin of 12.07% and a return on equity of 8.79%.

Merck KGaA Price Performance

OTCMKTS:MKKGY traded up $0.13 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $33.79. The stock had a trading volume of 148,394 shares, compared to its average volume of 99,302. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $32.00 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $29.19. The stock has a market capitalization of $21.84 billion, a PE ratio of 15.02, a P/E/G ratio of 2.98 and a beta of 0.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 1.51 and a quick ratio of 1.00. Merck KGaA has a 12 month low of $23.73 and a 12 month high of $34.19.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MKKGY has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Zacks Research upgraded Merck KGaA from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on Merck KGaA in a report on Tuesday, May 26th. They set a “hold” rating on the stock. Finally, HSBC upgraded Merck KGaA to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, July 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold”.

Merck KGaA Company Profile

Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, commonly referred to as Merck Group, is a multinational science and technology company with origins dating back to 1668. The company develops and manufactures products and technologies across healthcare, life science and electronics applications. It is distinct from the U.S. pharmaceutical company Merck & Co; Merck KGaA is a European group headquartered in Darmstadt and is publicly listed in Germany with an OTC American depositary receipt available under the symbol MKKGY.

Merck’s Healthcare business develops prescription medicines and related services focused on areas such as oncology, immunology, neurology (including therapies for multiple sclerosis) and fertility.