amorgos34
CHIAGNI & FOTTI SRL
l
perchè cala oggi SanofI?
Sanofi Cuts Profit Forecast as Earnings Miss on Generic Woes
2013-08-01 05:30:00.48 GMT
By Simeon Bennett
Aug. 1 (Bloomberg) -- Sanofi cut its full-year forecast as second-quarter profit missed analysts’ estimates, hurt by falling sales in emerging markets and generic competition.
Earnings per share excluding some costs and currency fluctuations will fall by 7 percent to 10 percent from last year, France’s largest drugmaker said in a statement. Sanofi previously expected profit to show no change or drop 5 percent at worst this year.
Chief Executive Officer Chris Viehbacher continues to expect a return to growth in the second half, saying last quarter’s 23 percent drop in earnings reflected underperformance in some areas and the residual impact of the patent cliff -- the sales plunge that comes when a best-selling medicines is challenged by cheaper generics.
“We have hit a few speed bumps,” Viehbacher said on a call with reporters today. “There’s no point sugar-coating this.”
Revenue from Sanofi’s generics slumped in Latin America and the company took a charge of 79 million euros ($105 million) because inventory at customers in Brazil was “significantly and inappropriately” higher than necessary. At the same time, sales of new drugs failed to make up for generic competition for brand-name medicines including the blood thinner Lovenox and the cancer drug Eloxatin.
Drug Setbacks
Profit excluding some costs fell to 1.48 billion euros, or
1.11 euros a share, from 1.93 billion euros, or 1.46 euros, a year earlier. That missed the average analyst forecast for profit of 1.74 billion euros among 12 estimates compiled by Bloomberg.
Revenue slipped to 8 billion euros last quarter, falling short of the average analyst estimate of 8.43 billion euros.
Sanofi shares have returned 16 percent in the past year, including reinvested dividends, trailing a 19 percent return in the Bloomberg Europe Pharmaceutical Index.
The company has also experienced setbacks in its efforts to bring new drugs to market. Sanofi terminated development of the lung-cancer drug iniparib and an anti-coagulant known as otamixaban last month after both drugs failed in studies.
For Related News and Information:
Sanofi Ends Iniparib Research, to Take $285 Million Charge NSN MNTVI66KLVR8 <GO> Sanofi, French Government at Odds Over Fate of Research Site NSN MMYBL16KLVRS <GO> Most-read stories on the company: SAN FP <Equity> MCN <GO> Sanofi’s product profile: SAN FP <Equity> PROD <GO> Company’s earnings graph: SAN FP <Equity> FA ISBAR <GO> Pharmaceutical industry snapshot: BI PHRM <GO> Today’s top health stories: HTOP <GO> Top Stories:TOP<GO>
--Editors: Marthe Fourcade, Phil Serafino
To contact the reporter on this story:
Simeon Bennett in Geneva at +41-22-317-9238 or [email protected]
To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Phil Serafino at +33-1-5530-6277 or