Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, posted a successful finish to a challenging 2018. Net sales increased over the previous year, whereas EBITDA pre declined sharply owing to strong foreign exchange effects. Organically, this key earnings indicator was only slightly lower than in 2017.   “2018 was a year of transition and investment for us. We achieved solid results in a dynamic market environment and achieved the financial targets we had set for ourselves. At the same time, we pressed further ahead...