- Net sales decrease organically by 1.6% to € 21.0 billion
- EBITDA pre down organically by 9.0% to € 5.9 billion
- Stable dividend proposal: € 2.20 per share
Darmstadt, Germany — Merck KGaA Thursday reported financial results for 2023, showing resilience in a tough market, but calling 2023 a “transitional year”.
Sales declined, especially in Life Science due to Covid-19 and semiconductor slowdown, but Healthcare saw growth
The company expects to return to organic growth in 2024. Foreign exchange impacted earnings negatively. Dividend remains stable at €2.20 per share. Outlook for 2024 includes gradual growth in Life Science, Healthcare, and Electronics sectors.
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Belén Garijo, Chair of the Executive Board and CEO of Merck said:
“Now, we are fully focusing on gradually returning to growth during fiscal 2024, while defining our strategic roadmap to ensure long term profitable and sustainable growth for Merck.”
In fiscal 2023, Merck Group’s net sales decreased organically by 1.6% in comparison with the previous year. Foreign exchange effects, primarily from the development of the U.S. dollar and the Chinese renminbi, had an adverse impact of 4.1% on sales.
Earnings per share (pre) were € 8.49.
Hence, Belén Garijo’s Executive Board and Supervisory Board proposed a dividend of € 2.20 per share. This corresponds to the dividend of the previous year. The Annual General Meeting will be held on April 26, 2024.