Merck KGaA reported lower Q1 sales and earnings due to Life Science inventory reductions; full-year organic sales growth forecasted 1%-5%.

Merck KGaA reported lower Q1 sales and earnings, mainly due to inventory reductions in its life-science segment. The firm now expects full-year organic sales growth of 1%-5%, with EBITDA at €5.7-6.3bn. Despite a decline in Life Science, Healthcare and Electronics divisions reported strong sales growth. Merck anticipates a rebound in the Life Science segment and a return to organic growth in fiscal 2024's second half.