Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKKGY) Sees Large Growth in Short Interest

Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKKGY) was the target of a significant increase in short interest in the month of September. As of September 30th, there was short interest totaling 39,149 shares, an increase of 1,031.1% from the September 15th total of 3,461 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 131,328 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.3 days. Approximately 0.0% of the shares of the company are short sold.

Merck KGaA Price Performance

OTCMKTS:MKKGY traded up $0.28 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $31.06. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 136,237 shares, compared to its average volume of 157,301. The company has a market capitalization of $20.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.01, a P/E/G ratio of 2.91 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a current ratio of 1.69, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37. Merck KGaA has a fifty-two week low of $23.73 and a fifty-two week high of $34.19. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $31.60 and a 200-day moving average of $30.09.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have commented on MKKGY shares. Zacks Research cut Merck KGaA from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, August 20th. UBS Group cut Merck KGaA from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 20th. Finally, HSBC raised Merck KGaA to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold”.

About Merck KGaA

Merck KGaA is a Germany-based science and technology company headquartered in Darmstadt. Founded in 1668, it is one of the world’s oldest pharmaceutical and chemical businesses. The company operates independently from Merck & Co, Inc, the U.S.-based company that uses the Merck name in the United States and Canada.

Merck KGaA operates through three primary business sectors: Life Science, Healthcare and Electronics. Its Life Science business supplies laboratory products, research tools, analytical technologies and bioprocessing solutions used by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, academic institutions and industrial laboratories.