FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Merck KGaA on Thursday forecast currency-adjusted operating earnings growth of up to 8%, helped by demand for semiconductor chemicals and for lab equipment in biotech drug production.

The German group said in a statement that 2025 earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA), adjusted for special items, would likely reach between 6.1 billion euros ($6.6 billion) and 6.6 billion euros.

That would be up from 6.07 billion euros reported for 2024, which was broadly in line with the average analyst estimate.

($1 = 0.9258 euros)