Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKKGY) Lowered to Hold Rating by Zacks Research

Zacks Research downgraded shares of Merck KGaA (OTCMKTS:MKKGY) from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a report released on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other research analysts have also recently weighed in on MKKGY. UBS Group cut Merck KGaA from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday. HSBC upgraded Merck KGaA to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on shares of Merck KGaA in a research note on Tuesday, May 26th. They set a “hold” rating on the stock. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold”.

Merck KGaA Stock Performance

OTCMKTS:MKKGY opened at $32.24 on Thursday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $32.23 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $29.36. Merck KGaA has a 52-week low of $23.73 and a 52-week high of $34.19. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $20.83 billion, a PE ratio of 16.62, a P/E/G ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.98.

Merck KGaA Company Profile

Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, commonly referred to as Merck Group, is a multinational science and technology company with origins dating back to 1668. The company develops and manufactures products and technologies across healthcare, life science and electronics applications. It is distinct from the U.S. pharmaceutical company Merck & Co; Merck KGaA is a European group headquartered in Darmstadt and is publicly listed in Germany with an OTC American depositary receipt available under the symbol MKKGY.

Merck’s Healthcare business develops prescription medicines and related services focused on areas such as oncology, immunology, neurology (including therapies for multiple sclerosis) and fertility.