Merck backtracks on annual forecast + Deutsche Telekom increases profits significantly + Siemens grows strongly + Mediamarkt parent Ceconomy improves profitability + RWE records losses as expected
Merck $MRK (+1,8%)rows back with annual forecast
- The pharmaceutical and technology group Merck KGaA is lowering its targets for the year due to the recent strong exchange rate fluctuations, for example in the US dollar.
- In addition, the slight adjustment of the forecast in the laboratory business also reflects the "current uncertainties with regard to customs duties", the DAX-listed company announced in Darmstadt on Thursday.
- Nevertheless, Merck remains confident of achieving sustainable growth.
- Management now expects sales for the year as a whole to be in the range of EUR 20.9 to 22.4 billion, compared to the previous forecast of EUR 21.5 to 22.9 billion.
- Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization adjusted for special items (adjusted EBITDA) are now expected to come in at 5.8 to 6.4 billion dollars in 2025 instead of the previously targeted 6.1 to 6.6 billion dollars.
- Meanwhile, Merck continued its recovery from a post-corona dip at the start of the year.
- Sales climbed by around three percent year-on-year to 5.28 billion euros, with the Group benefiting from the recovery in the pharmaceutical manufacturing business, particularly in the laboratory sector.
- However, semiconductor materials for AI applications also remained in demand.
- The operating result (adjusted EBITDA) rose by almost six percent to EUR 1.54 billion and exceeded analysts' average expectations.
- Merck earned 738 million euros after taxes, compared to 699 million euros a year earlier.
Deutsche Telekom $DTE (+1,12%)increases profit significantly
- Deutsche Telekom continued to benefit from the growth of its US subsidiary in the first quarter and slightly raised its profit outlook for the year as a whole.
- Thanks in part to the even stronger dollar in the first quarter, the DAX-listed company's revenue increased by 6.5 percent to 29.8 billion euros, as the Bonn-based company announced on Thursday.
- Increasing service revenues in German mobile communications also contributed to this.
- The operating result adjusted for special items (EBITDA AL) rose by 7.9 percent to just under 11.3 billion euros.
- Below the line, special effects in particular led to a significant increase in profit of 43.5 percent to 2.8 billion euros.
- Based on constant exchange rates from the previous year, Deutsche Telekom CEO Tim Höttges now expects an operating result of around 45.0 billion euros and a free cash flow AL of around 20.0 billion euros.
- This is 100 million euros more than before. The reason for this is that the US subsidiary had already slightly increased its forecast due to acquisitions.
Siemens $SIE (-0,96%)grows strongly
- The technology group Siemens grew strongly in the second quarter and performed better than expected.
- The company benefited from robust business in the field of intelligent infrastructure, the Mobility train division and the medical technology subsidiary Healthineers.
- Turnover rose by seven percent to just under 19.8 billion euros at the end of March, as the company announced in Munich on Thursday. Adjusted for currency and portfolio effects, the increase was six percent.
- The result of the industrial business increased by almost 30 percent to 3.24 billion euros.
- Siemens also benefited from the sale of non-core activities at Smart Infrastrucure.
- Order intake grew significantly by ten percent to 21.6 billion euros.
- The Train Division and Siemens Healthineers recorded significantly more new business.
- Incoming orders in the Digitalization division were at the previous year's level.
- There were rays of hope in the automation business, which has been weakening for some time: Siemens recorded significant growth there again thanks to higher demand from China.
- According to Siemens, the excess inventory in the region, which had been persisting for several quarters, was coming to an end.
- In contrast, automation orders in Germany had declined considerably.
- The figures were significantly better than analysts had expected.
- Siemens confirmed its forecast for the current fiscal year.
- The recently completed takeover of the US software group Altair is still not included.
Mediamarkt parent company Ceconomy $CEC (+1,36%)improves profitability
- The Mediamarkt and Saturn parent company Ceconomy has further improved its profitability.
- Adjusted earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) doubled to ten million euros in the traditionally weaker second quarter, as the retail group announced in Düsseldorf on Thursday.
- "For the ninth time in a row, we are growing sustainably and improving our profitability - proof that our strategy is successful and is being implemented consistently," said interim CEO Kai-Ulrich Deissner.
- The former CFO has taken over the position from Carsten Wildberger, who has moved into politics and is now in charge of the Digital Ministry in the new German government.
- According to the company, it is on course to achieve its medium-term targets.
- "We are focusing on strict cost discipline and adapting quickly to market changes," commented interim CFO Remko Rijnders.
- Turnover fell from 5.3 to 5.2 billion euros in the three months to the end of March.
- Analysts had expected an increase. Adjusted for currency and portfolio effects, Ceconomy achieved growth of 1.3 percent.
- Ceconomy's realignment from a traditional retailer to an omnichannel platform is reportedly progressing.
- Adjusted for currency and portfolio effects, online sales increased by 7.4 percent to just under 1.3 billion euros, accounting for a quarter of total sales.
- Ceconomy confirmed its forecast for 2024/25.
RWE $RWE (-0,46%)records losses as expected
- As expected, the energy group RWE suffered a decline in operating profit at the start of the year.
- Among other things, the DAX-listed company recorded a rather weak start to the year in energy trading.
- Furthermore, weak wind conditions in Europe led to lower wind power production at sea and on land and thus to a drop in earnings, RWE announced in Essen on Thursday.
- The Executive Board confirmed its forecast for the year and operating earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (ber EBITDA) fell by 23.5 percent to 1.3 billion euros in the first quarter.
- Adjusted for special effects, net profit even fell by almost 38 percent to just under half a billion euros.
- The results were thus roughly in line with the analysts' estimates made by the company in advance.
Thursday: Stock market dates, economic data, quarterly figures
- ex-dividend of individual stocks
- BMW € 4.30
- Microsoft Corp $0.83
- Unilever PLC £ 0.39
- Shell PLC $ 0.36
- BP PLC £ 0.06
- Exxon Mobil Corp $ 0.99
- GSK PLC £ 0.16
- Quarterly figures / company dates USA / Asia
- 13:00 Walmart quarterly figures
- 13:30 Alibaba Group quarterly figures
- 14:00 Blackrock | Morgan Stanley AGM
- 22:30 AT&T AGM
- No time specified: Applied Materials | Deere & Co Quarterly figures
- Quarterly figures / Company dates Europe
- 07:00 TAG Immobilien | Allianz | Ceconomy | Deutsche Telekom | Merck KGaA
- 07:00 RWE | Siemens quarterly figures
- 07:00 Thyssenkrupp | Aareal Bank | Grenke | Schott Pharma | Südzucker
- 07:00 Thyssenkrupp Nucera quarterly figures
- 07:30 Prosiebensat1 | Talanx | Dermapharm | Douglas | Port of Hamburg
- 07:30 MLP quarterly figures
- 07:50 Engie | Energiekontor quarterly figures
- 08:00 RTL Group | Wüstenrot & Württembergische | Villeroy & Boch | Jost Werke
- 08:00 National Grid quarterly figures | Siemens PK
- 09:00 Thyssenkrupp PK | Ceconomy Analyst Conference
- 09:30 Merck KGaA PK | Siemens Analyst Conference
- 10:00 Aixtron | Commerzbank | Eon | Heidelberg Materials | Hugo Boss
- 10:00 Elmos Semiconductor | Redcare Pharmacy | Just Eat Takeaway AGM
- 10:00 Deutsche Telekom | RWE PK
- 11:00 Borussia Dortmund Quarterly Figures | United Internet AGM | Allianz PK
- 11:00 Thyssenkrupp Analyst Conference
- 11:30 Grenke PK
- 13:00 RWE Analyst Conference
- 14:00 Allianz | Merck KGaA Analyst Conference
08:00 DE: Wholesale prices April
08:00 UK: GDP (1st release) | GDP March | Trade Balance March | Industrial Production March
08:45 FR: Consumer prices April
09:00 FR: ECB Director Cipollone, speech at French payments forum
11:00 EU: GDP (2nd release) 1Q Eurozone FORECAST: +0.4% yoy/+1.2% yoy 1st release: +0.4% yoy/+1.2% yoy 4th quarter: +0.2% yoy/+1.2% yoy
11:00 EU: Industrial Production March Eurozone FORECAST: +1.1% yoy/+2.1% yoy Previous: +1.1% yoy/+1.2% yoy
14:30 US: Initial jobless claims (week) PROGNOSE: 226,000 previous: 228,000 | April producer prices PROGNOSE: +0.3% yoy previous: -0.4% yoy | Philadelphia Fed Index May PROGNOSE: -10.5 previous: -26.4
14:30 US: Retail Sales April PROGNOSE: +0.1% yoy previous: +1.4% yoy Retail Sales ex Motor Vehicles PROGNOSE: +0.3% yoy previous: +0.5% yoy 14:30 US: Empire State Manufacturing Index May PROGNOSE: -9.0 previous: -8.1
15:15 US: Industrial Production and Capacity Utilization April Industrial Production PROGNOSE: +0.1% yoy previous: -0.3% yoy Capacity utilization PROGNOSE: 77.8% previous: 77.8%
16:00 US: Inventories March PROGNOSE: +0.2% yoy previous: +0.2% yoy
