Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKKGY) Shares Down 2.7% - Here's Why

Key Points

• Merck KGaA's stock price dropped 2.7% to last trade at $27.59, with trading volume down 58% from its average.
• Despite the recent decline, analysts have mixed ratings; Zacks upgraded to "hold" while Barclays downgraded from "strong-buy" to "hold," with a consensus rating of "hold."
• The company reported earnings of $0.57 per share, exceeding analysts' expectations of $0.51, with quarterly revenue of $6.11 billion compared to a forecasted $5.34 billion.

Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKKGY - Get Free Report)'s stock price was down 2.7% on Thursday . The company traded as low as $27.26 and last traded at $27.59. Approximately 53,108 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 58% from the average daily volume of 127,208 shares. The stock had previously closed at $28.35.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on MKKGY shares. Zacks Research upgraded Merck KGaA to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, August 8th. Barclays lowered 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, Based on data from MarketBeat, Merck KGaA presently has a consensus rating of "Hold".

Merck KGaA Price Performance

The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $25.65 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $26.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a current ratio of 1.24. The company has a market capitalization of $17.83 billion, a PE ratio of 11.59, a P/E/G ratio of 3.49 and a beta of 0.95.

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

Merck KGaA Company Profile

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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