Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKKGY) Downgraded by Barclays to Hold

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 analysts at Barclays from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report issued on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

Separately, Zacks Research raised Merck KGaA to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, August 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold".

Merck KGaA Trading Down 2.3%

Shares of Merck KGaA stock traded down $0.5999 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $25.73. 114,859 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 143,064. Merck KGaA has a 52-week low of $24.32 and a 52-week high of $39.17. The firm has a market capitalization of $16.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.24 and a beta of 0.91. The company has a fifty day moving average of $25.87 and a 200-day moving average of $26.92. 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 issued 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 return on equity of 9.81% and a net margin of 13.49%.The firm had revenue of $6.11 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.34 billion. Sell-side analysts forecast that Merck KGaA will post 1.87 EPS for the current fiscal 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.