By Helena Smolak

Germany's Merck KGaA is scheduled to report results for the first quarter on Thursday. Here is what you need to know.

SALES FORECAST: The pharmaceutical and chemicals group is expected to report net sales of 5.28 billion euros ($5.85 billion), according to consensus estimates compiled by the company. For last year's first quarter, Merck reported sales of 5.12 billion euros.

EARNINGS FORECAST: Merck's earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and one-off items is forecast to come in at 1.51 billion euros, according to the consensus. The company reported 1.45 billion for euros a year earlier.

In European early afternoon trading, shares were up 0.8%. They are down 9.9% since the start of the year.

WHAT TO WATCH

--The company will likely reiterate its full-year guidance, Morgan Stanley analysts said in a research note.

--Merck KGaA's life science and electronics sales could be skewed to the second half of the year, while healthcare sales should take a hit from U.S. competition to its cancer drug Bavencio, the analysts said.

--Investors will closely watch management's commentary around potential tailwinds from customer inventory build ahead of Trump's tariffs and its direct impact on its life science business, UBS analysts said in a note. Merck's broad network of U.S.-based manufacturing plants should limit the impact from import tariffs, the analysts said.

Write to Helena Smolak at helena.smolak@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

May 13, 2025 08:42 ET (12:42 GMT)

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