FRANKFURT (dpa-AFX) - The shares of Stratec quickly gained on Friday after an initially weak start. Among the favorites in the small cap index SDax, they recently gained 3.2 percent to 38.20 euros. However, this did not change the long-term steep downward trend, which had already begun two years ago. This year alone, Stratec shares have already lost more than half their value.

Now the diagnostics specialist had to lower its sales forecast again after a weak quarter. Due to the still prevailing phase of subdued market dynamics in the field of molecular diagnostic instrumentation solutions, a slight decline in sales adjusted for currency effects is now expected, it was said.

On the other hand, the forecast for the margin based on earnings before interest and taxes (Ebit) of approximately ten to twelve percent was confirmed. This seemed to give investors hope. After all, the margin had clearly improved in the third quarter compared with the first half of the year, wrote the analysts at Kepler Cheuvreux.

For a better share price development, better predictability is needed as to when and how quickly margins will recover, the analysts at Berenberg Bank had already written a few weeks ago. This recovery now seems to be taking place./ajx/bek/jha/