WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - German science and technology major Merck KGaA (MKKGY) reported Thursday lower profit in fiscal 2025, amid slightly lower net sales. Further, the company maintained dividend, and issued fiscal 2026 outlook, expecting weak results mainly due to negative foreign exchange impact.
In fiscal 2025, the company reported a 6.1 percent drop in profit after tax to 2.62 billion euros from 2.79 billion euros a year ago. Earnings per share declined to 6.00 euros from 6.39 euros last year.
On an adjusted basis, earnings per share pre were 8.34 euros, compared to 8.63 euros in the prior year.
Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization or EBITDA grew 2.1 percent year-over-year to 5.90 billion euros, with the EBITDA margin increasing to 28.0 percent from 27.3 percent in the previous year. EBITDA pre increased 0.6 percent to 6.109 billion euros, with an organic growth of 5.6 percent. EBITDA pre margin improved slightly to 28.9 percent from 28.7 percent a year earlier.
Net sales for the year edged down 0.3 percent to 21.102 billion euros from 21.156 billion euros last year. Organic sales growth was 3.1 percent.
In the fourth quarter of 2025, EBITDA pre was down 3.2 percent and net sales declined 3.1 percent from last year. Organically, EBITDA pre grew 3.1 percent and net sales increased 2.6 percent.
Further, the Executive Board and Supervisory Board will propose an unchanged dividend of 2.20 euros per share to the Annual General Meeting on April 24.
Looking ahead for fiscal 2006, Merck anticipates net sales between 20.0 billion euros and 21.1 billion euros, and EBITDA pre between 5.5 billion euros and 6.0 billion euros.
Foreign exchange effects are expected to have a negative impact of 4 percent to 2 percent on net sales and 7 percent to 3 percent on EBITDA pre. The expected earnings per share pre would be in a range of 7.10 euros to 8.00 euros.
Organic net sales development would be down 1 percent to up 2 percent and an organic EBITDA pre development would be down 4 percent to up 1 percent.
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