NYSE:MRKPharmaceuticals
Merck (MRK) Stock Revenue Growth Masks Loss And Margin Compression
Merck stock barely budged on the earnings print, up just 0.2% to about US$128, even as the headline numbers told a very different story. The quarter showed solid revenue of US$16.6b, but earnings were hit hard by a multi billion dollar acquisition charge that pushed basic earnings per share into a loss. For traders focused on the next few weeks, that loss is front and center. For longer term holders, the bigger question is how a rich P/E near 100x and a thin 4.8% trailing net margin compare...