Merck Gruppe

Merck beat expectations in the third quarter: revenue rose to €5.63 billion, adjusted EBITDA to about €1.68 billion, and adjusted earnings per share remained at €2.32. CEO Kai Beckmann raised the 2026 targets for the third time: revenue guidance to €21.5–21.9 billion and adjusted EBITDA to €6.2–6.4 billion. The drivers are a strong life-science division and a marked recovery in the electronics business due to AI demand, while pharmaceuticals such as Mavenclad in the US are suffering from generic pressure; quarterly profit fell to €450 million after write-downs related to the CDMO sale. Merck expects the completion of the nearly €10 billion takeover of Bio-Techne still this year, which should strengthen the lab division. » Mere på wiwo.de

Merck is selling its US contract development and manufacturing (CDMO) business to Lonza for a mid‑three‑hundred‑million sum. The transaction includes five sites in the US with around 1,100 employees and is expected to close in mid‑2027. Under CEO Kai Beckmann, Merck intends to focus more on innovation‑driven core businesses, while Lonza gains additional production capacity in an important US market. » Mere på wiwo.de

Deutsche Bank Research keeps its rating for Merck at "Hold" and confirms a price target of €141. Analyst Falko Friedrichs expects a quarterly report that will beat market expectations, followed by slightly higher forecasts, with consensus estimates likely to rise only moderately. Merck shares traded intraday at €145.60, still below the target price; the stock has gained about 21.1 percent so far in 2026. » Mere på finanzen.net

The VFA warns that the tariff dispute with the US and low water levels could shrink German pharmaceutical production by about 2.2% in 2026 and real sales by 1.8%. Pull-forward effects from 2025 due to threats of high tariffs are now causing a counter-movement; many companies, including Merck, had previously pledged investments in the US. Additional burdens come from increased manufacturer rebates by the federal government, which could reduce investment and research by around €4 billion through 2030. Merck shares fell by about 1.09% on XETRA at one point. » Mere på finanzen.net

Merck is buying Silence Therapeutics for $20 per ADS, representing a 130% premium to the closing price and implying an equity value of about $1.3 billion (an 82% premium versus the 30‑day VWAP). The aim is to acquire the RNAi drug candidate Divesiran to treat polycythaemia vera, which is about to enter phase 3. The deal strengthens Merck’s rare disease pipeline but carries development risks until phase‑3 data are available. » Mere på deraktionaer.de