Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKGAF) Sees Significant Decrease in Short Interest

Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKGAF) was the recipient of a large drop in short interest in September. As of September 30th, there was short interest totalling 193,700 shares, a drop of 23.5% from the September 15th total of 253,200 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 200 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 968.5 days.

Merck KGaA Stock Down 2.6 %

Shares of MKGAF traded down $4.47 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $166.85. The company had a trading volume of 2 shares, compared to its average volume of 552. The stock has a market cap of $21.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.50 and a beta of 0.96. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $182.45 and its 200 day moving average price is $175.38. The company has a quick ratio of 0.84, a current ratio of 1.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. Merck KGaA has a 52 week low of $143.46 and a 52 week high of $200.56.

Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKGAF) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The company reported $1.51 EPS for the quarter. The company had revenue of $5.76 billion for the quarter. Merck KGaA had a return on equity of 10.17% and a net margin of 12.60%. On average, equities research analysts predict that Merck KGaA will post 9.75 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, The Goldman Sachs Group raised Merck KGaA to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, September 19th.

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.