- All business sectors contribute to 6.8% rise in Group net sales
- EBITDA pre exceptionals climb 10.2%; net income soars by 46.3%
- Life Science drives organic sales growth of the Group
- One-time effect from the release of provisions in Healthcare
- Forecast for 2015 lifted thanks to good operational performance and Sigma-Aldrich acquisition
Darmstadt, Germany, November 12, 2015 – Merck, a leading science and technology company, reported sales growth of 6.8% in the third quarter of 2015. EBITDA pre exceptionals rose sharply by 10.2%.
“Our organic growth in all three business sectors and all regions shows that our strategy is bearing fruit. We are also well-positioned for future growth,” said Karl-Ludwig Kley, Chairman of the Merck Executive Board. “The fact that we are lifting the forecast for the current full year is due to the good operational performance of our businesses as well as to the imminent acquisition of Sigma-Aldrich.”
Group sales rose in the third quarter of 2015 by 6.8% to € 3.1 billion (Q3 2014: € 2.9 billion). Organic sales growth amounted to 3.3% while positive currency effects increased sales by 3.5%. From a geographic perspective, the Asia-Pacific region was the growth engine of the Group with strong organic growth and significantly positive currency effects.
The 10.2% jump in EBITDA pre exceptionals, Merck’s key performance indicator, to € 944 million (Q3 2014: € 857 million), was primarily driven by good operating performance in the third quarter. Lower research and development costs were due among other things to the release of provisions that had been set up in the second half of 2014 for the discontinuation of clinical development programs. This contrasted with higher marketing and selling expenses in the third quarter of 2015 that were incurred in connection with the investments in company growth initiatives. Group EBIT rose sharply by 31.4% to € 564 million (Q3 2014: € 429 million). Net income soared by 46.3% to € 364 million (Q3 2014: € 249 million). Earnings per share pre exceptionals rose in the third quarter of 2015 by 14.8% to € 1.32 (Q3 2014: € 1.15).
As of September 30, 2015, Merck had built up net financial position of € 1.3 billion. Net financial debt will soon increase considerably as a result of the acquisition of Sigma-Aldrich. Merck had 40,339 employees worldwide on September 30, 2015.
All business sectors report growth in the first nine months
In the first nine months of 2015, Group net sales rose 12.2% to € 9.4 billion (Jan.-Sept. 2014: € 8.4 billion). All three business sectors contributed to this increase. Foreign exchange movements accounted for a 7.5% increase in sales, which grew organically by 2.3% in the nine-month period. Portfolio effects, among other things due to the acquisition of AZ Electronic Materials, were responsible for a 2.4% increase in sales in the first nine months of 2015. For the period from January to September 2015, the Merck Group reported EBITDA pre exceptionals of € 2.7 billion (Jan.-Sept. 2014: € 2.5 billion), thus improving the year-earlier figure by 7.5%. Earnings per share pre exceptionals climbed 8.1% to € 3.74 in the first nine months of 2015 (Jan.-Sept. 2014: € 3.46).
Healthcare achieves organic growth in Asia-Pacific
Sales increased in the Healthcare business sector in the third quarter of 2015 by 1.4% to € 1.7 billion (Q3 2014: € 1.7 billion) amid slightly negative exchange rate effects. In the third quarter of 2015, the organic increase in sales was driven in particular by products to treat infertility (Gonal-f), diabetes (Glucophage), thyroid disorders (Euthyrox), as well as by Neurobion, a brand marketed by the Consumer Health business. From a geographic perspective, the Asia-Pacific region fueled organic growth.
Thanks to business performance in North America and positive currency effects, sales of Rebif, which is used to treat relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis, were flat at € 468 million in the third quarter of 2015 (Q3 2014: € 466 million) despite strong competitive pressure mainly from oral formulations. Sales of the oncology drug Erbitux declined to € 223 million (Q3 2014: € 232 million) due to an organic decrease and negative currency effects. Sales of the fertility drug Gonal-f increased to € 167 million in the third quarter (Q3 2014: € 147 million), supported by organic growth and favorable currency effects.
EBITDA pre exceptionals of the Healthcare business sector rose in the third quarter by 8.1% to € 537 million (Q3 2014: € 497 million).
The complete Merck News Release can be downloaded at the following link:
http://news.merck.de/N/0/88F8EB322836411EC1257EFA0066925B/$File/Q3_2015_PM_EN.pdf
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