Drug sales key to Merck KGaA progress as 'challenging year' nears end

14 November 2018

German science and tech company Merck KGaA (MRK: DE) was trading nearly 4% higher late on Wednesday as markets digested its third-quarter2018 financial results.

Net sales across the group rose compared to the same period of 2017 by 6.6% to 3.75 billion euros ($4.2 billion), but unhelpful foreign exchange effects led to a 5.9% decline in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), which dropped to 919 million euros.

The EBITDA figure, when not defined by international financial reporting standards, was 963 million euros, a 5.9% fall but ahead of analysts’ expectations for 933 million euros.

This article is accessible to registered users, to continue reading please register for free. A free trial will give you access to exclusive features, interviews, round-ups and commentary from the sharpest minds in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology space for a week. If you are already a registered user please login. If your trial has come to an end, you can subscribe here.

Try before you buy

Free

7 day trial access

Take a Free Trial

All the news that moves the needle in pharma and biotech
Exclusive features, podcasts, interviews, data analyses and commentary from our global network of life sciences reporters.
Receive The Pharma Letter daily news bulletin, free forever.

Become a subscriber

£820

Or £77 per month

Subscribe Now

Unfettered access to industry-leading news, commentary and analysis in pharma and biotech.
Updates from clinical trials, conferences, M&A, licensing, financing, regulation, patents & legal, executive appointments, commercial strategy and financial results.
Daily roundup of key events in pharma and biotech.
Monthly in-depth briefings on Boardroom appointments and M&A news.
Choose from a cost-effective annual package or a flexible monthly subscription

The Pharma Letter is an extremely useful and valuable Life Sciences service that brings together a daily update on performance people and products. It’s part of the key information for keeping me informed

Chairman, Sanofi Aventis UK