Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKKGY) Shares Gap Down – Should You Sell?

Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKKGY)’s stock price gapped down prior to trading on Monday . The stock had previously closed at $26.54, but opened at $25.69. Merck KGaA shares last traded at $25.63, with a volume of 4,820 shares changing hands.

Merck KGaA Stock Down 3.1%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 1.31 and a quick ratio of 0.83. The company has a market capitalization of $16.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.18, a PEG ratio of 1.98 and a beta of 0.92. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $26.44 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $27.73.

Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKKGY) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 15th. The company reported $0.59 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.50 by $0.09. Merck KGaA had a return on equity of 9.61% and a net margin of 13.23%. The company had revenue of $5.89 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.32 billion. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Merck KGaA will post 1.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merck KGaA Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 7th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 30th were paid a $0.3382 dividend. This is a positive change from Merck KGaA’s previous dividend of $0.32. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, April 29th. This represents a yield of 1.25%. Merck KGaA’s dividend payout ratio is currently 16.11%.

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.