Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKKGY) Shares Up 0.2% - Here's Why

Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKKGY - Get Free Report)'s stock price shot up 0.2% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $26.33 and last traded at $26.22. 156,967 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 33% from the average session volume of 118,303 shares. The stock had previously closed at $26.16.

Merck KGaA Price Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $17.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.98 and a beta of 0.92. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $26.44 and a 200-day moving average price of $27.74. The company has a current ratio of 1.31, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23.

Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKKGY - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 15th. The company reported $0.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.50 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $5.89 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.32 billion. Merck KGaA had a return on equity of 9.61% and a net margin of 13.23%. On average, analysts expect that Merck KGaA will post 1.87 earnings per share for the current year.

Merck KGaA Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 7th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 30th were issued a $0.3382 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 1.25%. This is an increase from Merck KGaA's previous dividend of $0.32. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, April 29th. Merck KGaA's dividend payout ratio is presently 15.64%.

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.