Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKKGY) Hits New 52-Week Low - Here's What Happened

Key Points

• Merck KGaA's stock hit a new 52-week low at $24.32 and was last trading at $24.80, remaining below its 50‑day ($28.98) and 200‑day ($27.61) moving averages.
• The company missed earnings and revenue for the quarter, reporting $0.28 EPS versus $0.47 expected and $6.11 billion in revenue versus $6.20 billion forecast.
• Deutsche Bank downgraded Merck KGaA from Buy to Hold, and the stock's consensus analyst rating is currently Hold.

Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKKGY - Get Free Report)'s share price hit a new 52-week low during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $24.32 and last traded at $24.80, with a volume of 5144 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $24.80.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut Merck KGaA from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold".

Merck KGaA Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a current ratio of 1.49. The stock's 50-day moving average is $28.98 and its two-hundred day moving average is $27.61. The stock has a market cap of $16.03 billion, a PE ratio of 11.03, a PEG ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 0.96.

Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKKGY - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported $0.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.47 by ($0.19). Merck KGaA had a net margin of 12.31% and a return on equity of 9.02%. The firm had revenue of $6.11 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.20 billion. On average, equities analysts predict that Merck KGaA will post 1.87 earnings per share for the current year.

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.

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