Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKKGY) Short Interest Down 80.2% in August

Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKKGY) was the recipient of a significant drop in short interest in the month of August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totaling 1,771 shares, a drop of 80.2% from the August 15th total of 8,948 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 98,007 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.0 days. Approximately 0.0% of the shares of the stock are sold short.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently weighed in on MKKGY. UBS Group cut Merck KGaA from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, August 20th. HSBC upgraded Merck KGaA to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Merck KGaA from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, August 20th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on shares of Merck KGaA in a report on Tuesday, May 26th. They issued a “hold” rating on the stock. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, Merck KGaA presently has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

Merck KGaA Trading Down 0.9%

Merck KGaA stock traded down $0.27 during trading on Friday, hitting $30.59. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 3,477 shares, compared to its average volume of 91,712. Merck KGaA has a 1-year low of $23.73 and a 1-year high of $34.19. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $32.22 and its 200 day moving average is $29.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a current ratio of 1.51. The stock has a market capitalization of $19.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.77, a P/E/G ratio of 2.90 and a beta of 0.96.

Merck KGaA Company Profile

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. Merck KGaA operates independently from the U.S.-based Merck & Co, Inc, which uses the name MSD in markets outside the United States and Canada.

The company operates through three primary business sectors: Life Science, Healthcare and Electronics. Its Life Science business supplies laboratory products, research tools, bioprocessing equipment and services used by academic institutions, pharmaceutical manufacturers and other industrial customers.