Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKKGY) Short Interest Update

Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKKGY - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest in the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 115,100 shares, an increase of 87.5% from the March 31st total of 61,400 shares. Approximately 0.0% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 410,400 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.3 days.

Merck KGaA Stock Performance

Shares of Merck KGaA stock traded up $0.77 on Friday, reaching $28.39. 75,208 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 134,343. The company has a current ratio of 1.33, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28. The firm has a market capitalization of $18.35 billion, a PE ratio of 17.52, a PEG ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 0.96. Merck KGaA has a 1-year low of $24.32 and a 1-year high of $39.17. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $27.70 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $29.37.

Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKKGY - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, March 6th. The company reported $0.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.47 by $0.07. Merck KGaA had a return on equity of 10.41% and a net margin of 12.89%. The business had revenue of $5.78 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.40 billion. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Merck KGaA will post 1.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck KGaA Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 7th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 30th will be paid a dividend of $0.3382 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 29th. This is a boost from Merck KGaA's previous dividend of $0.32. This represents a dividend yield of 1.25%. Merck KGaA's dividend payout ratio is 17.65%.

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.