In a release dated April 28th, Merck Inc. (MRK) released results for the first quarter of 2020 ending March 31st.  Total worldwide sales attained $12.1 billion, 11 percent more than the first quarter of Fiscal 2019.  Of this total, the Animal Health segment amounted to $1.214 billion compared to $1.025 billion in the first quarter of 2019.  Livestock represented 60.9 percent of Animal Health sales compared to 59.6 percent during the first quarter of 2019.  Excluding the unfavorable effect from foreign exchange Animal Health sales grew 21 percent.  Growth in livestock products was in part attributed to the acquisition of Antelliq Corporation and also from preemptive buying in anticipation of disruption of supply chains due to COVID-19.

Merck has a market capitalization of $205.0 billion.  The company attained a twelve-month trailing operating margin of 32.6 percent and a profit margin of 21.0 percent.  MRK has traded over fifty-two weeks over a range of $65.25 to $92.64 with a fifty-day moving average of $77.27.