AmerisourceBergen (ABC) Beats on Earnings in Q4, Sales Miss

Chesterbrook, PA-based AmerisourceBergen Corporation ABC is one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical services companies, which focuses on providing drug distribution and related services to reduce healthcare costs and improve patient outcomes.

AmerisourceBergen serves healthcare providers and pharmaceutical manufacturers in the pharmaceutical supply channel. The company has been actively pursuing acquisitions to strengthen its core areas and diversify.

Currently, AmerisourceBergen has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) but that could definitely change following its fourth-quarter fiscal 2017 earnings report which has just released. (You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 (Strong Buy) Rank stocks here.)

Interestingly, AmerisourceBergen has an impressive track of comfortably beating estimates in each of the four trailing quarters. It has an average positive surprise of 6%. Below we have highlighted some of the key stats from this just-revealed announcement:

Earnings: AmerisourceBergen topped earnings in the reported quarter. Our consensus called for earnings of $1.32 per share, and the company reported adjusted earnings of $1.33 per share.

Revenue: AmerisourceBergen posted revenues of $39.1 billion in the reported quarter, which came below our consensus estimate of $40.1 billion.

Key Stats: Revenue at the Pharmaceutical Distribution Services segment was $37.7 billion, up 3.9% on a year-over-year basis. Revenue at the Other segment was $1.5 billion, up 12.2% compared to the same period in the prior fiscal year.

For fiscal 2017, AmerisourceBergen reported adjusted earnings of $5.88 per share, up 4.6% year over year. Revenue increased 4.3% to $153.1 billion on a year-over-year basis.

Coming to guidance, AmerisourceBergen expects adjusted earnings per share for fiscal 2018 in the band of $5.90 to $6.15. Revenue growth for fiscal 2018 is expected in the range of 7% to 9%.

Check back later for our full write up on this AmerisourceBergen earnings report later!

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