Merck: dividend increased and share buybacks

(CercleFinance.com) - On publishing its quarterly results, Merck has announced that it is raising its dividend per share by 15% to 55 cents, in addition to an authorization to repurchase 10 billion dollars' worth of its shares, including a program of accelerated buybacks for five billion dollars.


Exceeding expectations for its third quarter, Merck is tightening and raising its target range of Adjusted EPS for 2018, which it now expects to reach between 4.30 dollars and 4.36 dollars, for revenues that it now forecasts at between 42.1 billion and 42.7 billion dollars.

Over the past quarter, the health care group posted adjusted EPS (non-GAAP) that is up 8% at 1.19 dollar, i.e. six cents above the consensus, for revenues that are up 5% at 10.8 billion dollars, including a 1% negative FX effect.



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