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

Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKGAF) was the target of a significant increase in short interest in September. As of September 15th, there was short interest totalling 253,200 shares, an increase of 26.9% from the August 31st total of 199,600 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 300 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 844.0 days.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

Merck KGaA Price Performance

MKGAF stock traded down $0.16 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $175.97. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 145 shares, compared to its average volume of 569. The stock has a market cap of $22.74 billion, a PE ratio of 25.86 and a beta of 0.96. The company’s 50 day moving average is $184.75 and its two-hundred day moving average is $175.55. Merck KGaA has a fifty-two week low of $143.46 and a fifty-two week high of $200.56. The company has a current ratio of 1.31, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27.

Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKGAF) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The company reported $1.51 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Merck KGaA had a return on equity of 10.17% and a net margin of 12.60%. The company had revenue of $5.76 billion during the quarter. Equities research analysts expect that Merck KGaA will post 9.5 EPS for the current 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.