Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKKGY) Issues Quarterly Earnings Results, Misses Expectations By $0.21 EPS

Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKKGY) posted its earnings results on Thursday. The company reported $0.26 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.47 by ($0.21), Zacks reports. Merck KGaA had a net margin of 12.07% and a return on equity of 8.79%.

Merck KGaA Trading Up 0.4%

Shares of OTCMKTS:MKKGY traded up $0.13 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $33.79. The company had a trading volume of 148,394 shares, compared to its average volume of 35,105. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a current ratio of 1.51. Merck KGaA has a 1-year low of $23.73 and a 1-year high of $34.19. The firm has a market cap of $21.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.96 and a beta of 0.98. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $32.00 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $29.19.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MKKGY has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. HSBC raised Merck KGaA to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Merck KGaA from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on shares of Merck KGaA in a report on Tuesday, May 26th. They issued a “hold” rating for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

About Merck KGaA

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.