Bioprocessing Industry News: Merck KGaA Lifts Outlook

Merck KGaA Raises Guidance Again as Process Solutions Sales Climb 10.5% in Third Quarter

DARMSTADT, Germany — November 13, 2026 — Merck KGaA reported 10.5% organic sales growth in its Process Solutions unit in the third quarter and raised its 2026 guidance for the third time. The results point to continued demand across the global Bioprocessing Market.

Process Solutions growth reached 12.6% excluding tariff effects, with gains across upstream, downstream and single-use products. Life Science organic sales rose 6.1%, or 7.3% excluding tariff refunds. Segment EBITDA pre increased 8.7%, driven mainly by higher Process Solutions volumes.

Group organic sales growth accelerated to 5.1% from 4.1% in the second quarter. Merck now expects 2026 organic group sales growth of 3% to 4%, with Life Science sales growth forecast at 6% to 7%.

Merck is concentrating investment on four areas, including biomanufacturing. The company opened or unveiled facilities in Daejeon, Sheboygan and Darmstadt, including more than EUR 300 million of investment in bioprocessing in South Korea.

The global Bioprocessing Market was valued at USD 17.66 billion in 2021 and is predicted to reach USD 44.19 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 11.0% from 2022 to 2030, according to Next Move Strategy Consulting.

Key Highlights:

• Process Solutions organic sales rose 10.5% in the third quarter, or 12.6% excluding tariff effects, across upstream, downstream and single-use products.

• The unit’s year-to-date book-to-bill ratio remained above one, though management expects fourth-quarter growth to moderate to the mid-single digits because of phasing rather than weaker underlying demand.

• Merck raised its 2026 outlook for the third time, now forecasting revenue of EUR 21.5 billion to EUR 21.9 billion.

• The company is advancing portfolio changes, including a Bio-Techne acquisition nearing completion and a planned CDMO sale to Lonza.

Analyst Insight:

According to analysts at Next Move Strategy Consulting, Process Solutions growth of 10.5% at a leading supplier is broadly consistent with the 11.0% long-term CAGR projected for the bioprocessing industry. A book-to-bill ratio above one indicates that order intake continues to run ahead of sales.

NMSC analysts note that management’s expectation of mid-single-digit growth in the fourth quarter, attributed to phasing, suggests quarterly growth rates may remain uneven even as the underlying demand trend holds.

Industry Outlook:

Merck’s results indicate that suppliers of upstream, downstream and single-use bioprocessing products continue to benefit from steady demand and ongoing capacity investment. Its South Korean expansion adds to a broader pattern of manufacturing build-out in the sector.

Management has signalled that fourth-quarter Process Solutions growth should moderate to the mid-single digits. The company’s full-year results will show whether that trajectory holds.

Source: TipRanks

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Prepared By: Sanyukta Deb