Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKKGY) Short Interest Update

Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKKGY) was the target of a large increase in short interest in June. As of June 15th, there was short interest totaling 293,910 shares, an increase of 220.8% from the May 31st total of 91,604 shares. Approximately 0.0% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 140,159 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.1 days.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have weighed in on MKKGY shares. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded shares of Merck KGaA to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 19th. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on shares of Merck KGaA in a report on Tuesday, May 26th. They set a “hold” rating for the company. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold”.

Merck KGaA Trading Down 0.8%

Shares of OTCMKTS:MKKGY traded down $0.26 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $33.29. 168,623 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 79,210. The stock has a market capitalization of $21.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.80, a P/E/G ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a current ratio of 1.51. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $29.15 and its 200 day moving average price is $28.43. Merck KGaA has a 12 month low of $23.73 and a 12 month high of $33.85.

Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKKGY) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 13th. The company reported $0.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.45 by $0.14. The business had revenue of $6.03 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.93 billion. Merck KGaA had a net margin of 12.07% and a return on equity of 8.79%. Analysts predict that Merck KGaA will post 1.87 earnings per share 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.