Quarterly figures: Merck raises annual targets after surge in results

In the latest earnings report, Merck has raised its annual targets following a significant surge in results in the second quarter. The pharmaceutical and technology conglomerate attributes its success to strong demand from the semiconductor industry and the expanding life-science business. With the release of its updated forecast on Thursday, Merck now expects revenue to range between 21.0 and 21.8 billion euros for 2026, alongside a net operating income (Ebitda) between 5.9 and 6.3 billion euros. The company announced this during its quarterly update in Darmstadt.

Merck had previously increased its outlook in May, anticipating revenue between 20.4 and 21.4 billion euros and an adjusted profit of 5.7 to 6.1 billion euros. The company's new CEO, Kai Beckmann, who took over from Belen Garijo in May, stated that the results in the second quarter confirm the ongoing momentum of their key growth areas.

During the past fiscal quarter, revenue increased by 3.4 percent to 5.4 billion euros, with organic growth of nearly four percent. Adjusted profit also rose more than nine percent to 1.6 billion euros, which was higher than the average expectation of 1.53 billion euros from analysts.