Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKGAF) Short Interest Up 20.6% in March

Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKGAF) was the target of a large increase in short interest during the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 529,000 shares, an increase of 20.6% from the March 15th total of 438,600 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 600 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 881.7 days.

Merck KGaA Stock Down 0.9 %

MKGAF traded down $1.51 on Monday, reaching $162.00. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 267 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,094. The company has a market capitalization of $20.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.26 and a beta of 0.93. Merck KGaA has a fifty-two week low of $143.46 and a fifty-two week high of $186.41. The company has a quick ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 1.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $169.66 and a two-hundred day moving average of $163.64.

Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKGAF) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, March 7th. The company reported $1.99 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.15 by ($0.16). The company had revenue of $5.63 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.58 billion. Merck KGaA had a net margin of 13.47% and a return on equity of 12.18%. As a group, analysts forecast that Merck KGaA will post 9.34 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Merck KGaA Company Profile

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.