Pharmaceutical company: AI and pharmaceuticals inspire Merck – DAX group raises forecast again

The pharmaceutical and technology group Merck is benefiting from continued high demand for semiconductor materials for artificial intelligence (AI) as well as good business with drugs for rare diseases. The Darmstadt DAX company exceeded market expectations in the summer quarter and raised its annual targets for the third time this year on Thursday.

For the full year 2026, Merck now expects sales of between 21.5 and 21.9 billion euros. Previously, 21.0 to 21.8 billion were in the plan. The adjusted operating result (Ebitda) is expected to be between 6.2 and 6.4 (previously: 5.9 to 6.3) billion euros.

“Our results in the third quarter underline the strength of our integrated business model,” said CEO Kai Beckmann. The increased forecast primarily reflects better operational development and more favorable currency effects.

In the third quarter, group sales rose organically by 5.1 percent to a good 5.6 billion euros. At almost 1.7 billion euros, the operating result (Ebitda) adjusted for special items was at the same level as in the same quarter of the previous year, in which Merck benefited from positive one-off effects. The company did better than expected: analysts had expected an average of 1.6 billion euros.