Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKKGY) Shares Up 7.4% Following Strong Earnings

Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKKGY)’s share price shot up 7.4% on Wednesday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The company traded as high as $28.71 and last traded at $28.71. 3,347 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 97% from the average session volume of 118,721 shares. The stock had previously closed at $26.74.

The company reported $0.59 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.45 by $0.14. Merck KGaA had a net margin of 12.31% and a return on equity of 9.03%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut shares of Merck KGaA from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Sanford C. Bernstein raised Merck KGaA to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 19th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat.com, Merck KGaA currently has an average rating of “Hold”.

Merck KGaA Stock Up 7.4%

The firm has a market capitalization of $18.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 1.46 and a quick ratio of 0.96. The business has a 50 day moving average of $25.99 and a 200 day moving average of $27.53.

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.