Merck Ltd, a Mumbai based MNC, announced better performance during the third quarter ended and half year ended September 2005. The company's net profit for the third quarter increased marginally to Rs. 22.53 crore from Rs. 20.15 crore in the corresponding period of last year. Its net sales increased to Rs. 106.21 crore from Rs. 100.98 crore. The earning per share improved slightly to Rs. 13.36 from Rs. 11.95. The pharmaceutical sales increased to Rs. 63.58 crore from Rs. 62.81 crore, but that of chemical division's declined to Rs. 39.15 crore from Rs. 41.40 crore

During the nine months period its nets sales reached at Rs. 317.56 crore from Rs. 310.42 crore and it earned a net profit of Rs. 56.13 crore as against Rs. 52.74 crore in the previous nine months of 2005. The sales of pharmaceutical division went up to Rs. 169.61 crore as against Rs. 171.58 crore in the similar period of last year.