Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKKGY) Shares Gap Down - What's Next?

Key Points

• Merck KGaA's shares gapped down from a previous close of $27.13 to open at $25.63, last trading at $25.78 with a trade volume of nearly 5,000 shares.
• Analysts have given the stock an average rating of "Hold," with Zacks upgrading it and Barclays downgrading it from "strong-buy" to hold.
• In its latest quarterly earnings, Merck KGaA reported $0.57 EPS, exceeding estimates, while revenue was $6.11 billion, significantly higher than expected.

Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKKGY - Get Free Report)'s share price gapped down before the market opened on Thursday . The stock had previously closed at $27.13, but opened at $25.63. Merck KGaA shares last traded at $25.78, with a volume of 4,977 shares changing hands.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the company. Zacks Research upgraded Merck KGaA to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, August 8th. Barclays cut Merck KGaA from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 19th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold".

Merck KGaA Stock Down 4.3%

The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $26.01 and a 200-day moving average price of $26.26. The company has a current ratio of 1.24, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22. The firm has a market cap of $16.78 billion, a PE ratio of 10.91, a PEG ratio of 3.31 and a beta of 0.95.

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