Merck KGaA: A Diversified Science Platform in Transition
Merck KGaA, Darmstadt is a family-controlled German science-and-technology group whose €21.1 billion of 2025 sales come from three very different engines: a patent-exposed Healthcare arm, a high-quality Life Science tools franchise and a semiconductor-materials Electronics business. The 2026 stock is a tug of war, because a known Mavenclad U.S. patent cliff drags Healthcare while Process Solutions compounds near 10% organically and Electronics rides advanced-node AI demand, leaving the shares near 15.9 times 2025 EPS pre and a 3.5% free-cash-flow yield after a May rebound to €133.05. Rating Hold: genuinely strong Life Science and semiconductor-materials engines offset a credibility-damaged Healthcare arm, but a permanent KGaA governance discount and only-fair valuation keep upside limited.