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Merck quarterly earnings beat forecasts


    (Reuters) - Merck & Co reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings despite the negative impact of the stronger dollar, with strong sales growth of its vaccines and treatments for diabetes and HIV.

    The No. 2 U.S. drugmaker on Friday said it earned $1.79 billion, or 58 cents per share, in the second quarter. That compared with $2.02 billion, or 65 cents per share, in the year-earlier period.

    Excluding special items, the company earned $1.05 per share. Analysts, on average, had expected $1.01 per share.

    Company sales rose 1 percent to $12.31 billion, topping Wall Street expectations of $12.15 billion.

    (Reporting By Ransdell Pierson; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick)