Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKKGY) Sees Unusually-High Trading Volume - Here's What Happened

Key Points

• Merck KGaA experienced a significant increase in trading volume, with 368,253 shares traded on Wednesday, up 162% from 140,758 shares in the previous session.
• Analysts have mixed opinions on the stock, with Zacks Research maintaining a "hold" rating while Barclays has downgraded it from "strong-buy" to "hold," resulting in a consensus rating of "Hold."
• The company reported strong quarterly earnings, with an EPS of $0.57 exceeding estimates and revenue of $6.11 billion surpassing the expected $5.34 billion.

Shares of Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKKGY - Get Free Report) saw strong trading volume on Wednesday . 368,253 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 162% from the previous session's volume of 140,758 shares.The stock last traded at $28.00 and had previously closed at $27.68.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently commented on the stock. Zacks Research raised shares of Merck KGaA to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, August 8th. Barclays lowered shares of Merck KGaA from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 19th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold".

Merck KGaA Stock Performance

The firm has a market cap of $18.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.46 and a beta of 0.95. The stock's 50 day moving average is $25.75 and its 200 day moving average is $26.27. The company has a current ratio of 1.24, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22.

Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKKGY - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 7th. The company reported $0.57 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.51 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $6.11 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.34 billion. Merck KGaA had a net margin of 13.49% and a return on equity of 9.78%. Analysts anticipate that Merck KGaA will post 1.87 earnings per share for the current year.

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.

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