Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKKGY) Upgraded to "Hold" at Sanford C. Bernstein

Key Points

• Analyst shift: Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded Merck KGaA to a Hold rating while Deutsche Bank cut it from Buy to Hold, leaving the consensus rating at Hold (four analysts).
• Share movement and valuation: The stock fell about 4.5% and opened at a one-year low of $23.76; market cap is roughly $15.35 billion with a trailing P/E of about 10.6.
• Earnings miss: Merck KGaA reported Q (quarter) EPS of $0.28 versus $0.47 expected and revenue of $6.11 billion versus $6.20 billion expected; sell-side analysts forecast about 1.87 EPS for the current year.

Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKKGY - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities researchers at Sanford C. Bernstein to a "hold" rating in a research note issued to investors on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

Separately, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut shares of Merck KGaA from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold".

Merck KGaA Stock Down 4.5%

Merck KGaA stock opened at $23.76 on Thursday. Merck KGaA has a one year low of $23.76 and a one year high of $31.00. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $28.76 and a 200 day moving average of $27.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a current ratio of 1.49. The stock has a market cap of $15.35 billion, a PE ratio of 10.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 0.96.

Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKKGY - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported $0.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.47 by ($0.19). The firm had revenue of $6.11 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.20 billion. Merck KGaA had a return on equity of 9.02% and a net margin of 12.31%. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Merck KGaA will post 1.87 EPS for the current year.

Merck KGaA Company Profile

Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, commonly referred to as Merck Group, is a multinational science and technology company with origins dating back to 1668. The company develops and manufactures products and technologies across healthcare, life science and electronics applications. It is distinct from the U.S. pharmaceutical company Merck & Co; Merck KGaA is a European group headquartered in Darmstadt and is publicly listed in Germany with an OTC American depositary receipt available under the symbol MKKGY.

Merck's Healthcare business develops prescription medicines and related services focused on areas such as oncology, immunology, neurology (including therapies for multiple sclerosis) and fertility.

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