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Merck KGaA

MRK.DE
52
Drug Manufacturers - Specialty & Generic · Healthcare
Also trades as: MKGAF
Price
€137.95
-0.10 (-0.07%)
Market Cap
€59.93B
Exchange
Frankfurt Stock Exchange
Winston Score
52
Winston is curious
Mixed quality — meaningful strengths and weaknesses.
Data as of Aug 23, 2026 · filings through Jun 30, 2026
How the score breaks down
Quality
Good
Growth
Mixed
Cash Flow
Exceptional
Stability
Strong
Valuation
Strong
Dividends
Good

Winston Score History

The full picture

Merck KGaA is a German science and technology company that makes products in three main areas: prescription drugs, life science tools, and specialty chemicals. Its healthcare division sells cancer and fertility treatments, while its life science arm supplies lab equipment and materials to researchers and pharmaceutical manufacturers worldwide. The company is one of the oldest science companies in the world, tracing its roots back to 1668 in Darmstadt, Germany.

Merck KGaA earns revenue through product sales across all three divisions, with life sciences being the largest contributor. It operates globally, with significant sales in North America, Europe, and Asia, and generates roughly €22 billion in annual revenue. Its competitive edge comes from its diversified business model and deep relationships with drug manufacturers who rely on its materials to make medicines. The key growth driver is demand for biotech manufacturing tools, but a major risk is pricing pressure in its healthcare segment as competition from generic drug makers intensifies.

Share count broadly stable

0.0% over 4y

The share count has stayed roughly flat over this period — little dilution or buyback activity.

Diluted shares outstanding: 434.8M (2021) → 434.8M (2025)

Score breakdown

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Quality

Profit per sale
Gross Margin
58.3%
Premium pricing power — 58.3% gross margin
Profit after running costs
Operating Margin
21.5%
Excellent — 21.5% operating margin
Return on the money invested
ROCE
9.9%
Below par — 9.9% return on capital

ROIC between 5% and 15%. They earn 5 to 15 cents back per year on every dollar invested.

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Growth

Sales growth
Sales YoY
-0.4%
Shrinking sales (-0.4% YoY)
Profit growth
EPS YoY
-17.2%
Earnings shrinking (-17.2% YoY)

Earnings per share down more than 10%. Either a bad year, or a real decline.

How steady the profit is
EPS Consistency
5/8 quarters
Mixed — about half the quarters showed growth

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Cash Flow

Profit that turns into cash
Cash Conversion
178%
Turns 178% of profit into real cash
Spare cash per sale
FCF Margin
12.5%
Converts sales into free cash efficiently (12.5%)

FCF margin between 10% and 20%. Every $100 in sales becomes $10 to $20 in real cash.

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Stability

What it owes vs what it owns
Debt / Equity
0.39
Conservative — low debt load (0.39)
Covers its interest
Interest Cover
8.52x
Comfortably covers interest (8.5x)

Interest coverage above 8. Profits cover interest many times over.

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Valuation

Price vs profit
P/E Ratio (TTM)
25.3x
Growth-priced — P/E 25.3

P/E above the market average. People are paying up for expected growth.

Cheaper or dearer next year
P/E vs Forward
+11.1
GROWING
Earnings expected to grow meaningfully — cheaper on forward P/E (25.3 → 14.2)

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Dividends

Dividend
Dividend Yield
1.60%
Small dividend — 1.60% yield

Modest yield. The bulk of any return needs to come from price appreciation.

Dividend record
Dividend Growth
+51.7%
Dividend growing fast (51.7% YoY)

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