Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKKGY) Stock Rating Lowered by Barclays

Key Points

• Merck KGaA was downgraded by Barclays from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating, indicating a shift in analysts' outlook on the stock.
• The company recently reported quarterly earnings of $0.57 per share, exceeding expectations and reflecting a net margin of 13.49% and revenue of $6.11 billion.
• The stock has a current market capitalization of $16.93 billion and shows a 50-day moving average price of $25.90.

Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKKGY - Get Free Report) was downgraded by equities researchers at Barclays from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

Separately, Zacks Research upgraded shares of Merck KGaA to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, August 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold".

Merck KGaA Stock Performance

Shares of Merck KGaA stock traded up $0.29 on Tuesday, reaching $26.20. 2,643 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 143,595. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $25.90 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $27.01. The firm has a market capitalization of $16.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.01, a PEG ratio of 3.19 and a beta of 0.91. Merck KGaA has a twelve month low of $24.32 and a twelve month high of $39.17. The company has a quick ratio of 0.83, a current ratio of 1.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23.

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 (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.51 by $0.06. Merck KGaA had a net margin of 13.49% and a return on equity of 9.81%. The company had revenue of $6.11 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.34 billion. Analysts anticipate that Merck KGaA will post 1.87 earnings per share 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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