Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKKGY) Sees Large Volume Increase - What's Next?

Key Points

• Trading volume spiked ~613% to about 590,027 shares on Monday, with the stock last trading near $25.08 and down roughly 2.6% from the prior close.
• Merck KGaA missed quarterly expectations, reporting EPS of $0.28 versus the $0.47 consensus and revenue of $6.11 billion versus $6.20 billion.
• Analyst sentiment weakened as Deutsche Bank cut its rating from "Buy" to "Hold," and the stock's consensus rating across analysts is currently Hold.

Shares of Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKKGY - Get Free Report) saw unusually-strong trading volume on Monday . Approximately 590,027 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 613% from the previous session's volume of 82,742 shares.The stock last traded at $25.0750 and had previously closed at $25.76.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

Merck KGaA Trading Down 2.6%

The firm has a market cap of $16.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.15, a P/E/G ratio of 2.25 and a beta of 0.96. The business's 50-day moving average is $29.59 and its two-hundred day moving average is $27.64. The company has a current ratio of 1.49, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36.

Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKKGY - Get Free Report) last issued 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). The business had revenue of $6.11 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.20 billion. Merck KGaA had a return on equity of 9.02% and a net margin of 12.31%. As a group, analysts expect that Merck KGaA will post 1.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal 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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