Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKKGY) Sees Unusually-High Trading Volume on Better-Than-Expected Earnings

Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKKGY) saw unusually-strong trading volume on Friday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. Approximately 608,868 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 330% from the previous session’s volume of 141,732 shares.The stock last traded at $27.07 and had previously closed at $28.19.

The company reported $0.81 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.54 by $0.27. Merck KGaA had a net margin of 13.49% and a return on equity of 9.78%. The company had revenue of $6.17 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.08 billion.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MKKGY has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Zacks Research raised Merck KGaA to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, August 8th. Barclays lowered Merck KGaA from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 19th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold”.

Merck KGaA Stock Down 3.4%

The stock has a 50 day moving average of $26.30 and a 200-day moving average of $26.24. The firm has a market capitalization of $17.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.44, a PEG ratio of 3.23 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a quick ratio of 0.78 and a current ratio of 1.24.

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.