Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKKGY) Trading Up 7.4% Following Better-Than-Expected Earnings

Shares of Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKKGY) shot up 7.4% during mid-day trading on Wednesday following a better than expected earnings announcement. The stock traded as high as $28.71 and last traded at $28.71. 3,347 shares traded 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, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.45 by $0.14. Merck KGaA had a return on equity of 9.03% and a net margin of 12.31%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

Merck KGaA Stock Up 7.4%

The stock has a market capitalization of $18.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.76, a P/E/G ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.97. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $25.99 and its 200 day simple moving average is $27.53. The company has a current ratio of 1.46, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37.

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.