It's been a busy week for large-cap pharmaceutical investors, with almost all of the biggest companies reporting earnings this week. Yesterday, Motley Fool Income Investor pick Eli Lilly
Sales were up 7% to $3.9 billion from the third quarter last year, and earnings grew 10% to $874 million and $0.80 a share. Of that sales increase, 71% was due to increased pricing for its drugs, rather than increased sales volume, which is a more sustainable form of revenue growth. (Still, sales growth is sales growth, no matter how it is achieved.) Thanks to the increased pricing, gross margins were up to 77.7%, and net margins expanded to a solid 22.6%.
Lilly's superstar, the schizophrenia drug Zyprexa, had an OK quarter: sales growth of 5% to $1.1 billion, but flat prescription growth. On the other hand, it was a solid quarter for many of Lilly's smaller drugs. Since nearly all of these have blockbuster potential and long-term patent exclusivity, they should drive years of earnings growth as they capture a larger percentage of Lilly's total sales.
Q3 sales* |
Y-O-Y Growth |
% of Total Sales |
|
---|---|---|---|
Cymbalta |
$349 |
91% |
9% |
Cialis |
$246 |
25% |
6.4% |
Forteo |
$149 |
45% |
3.9% |
Byetta** |
$62 |
N/A |
1.6% |
The most interesting news for Lilly shareholders came on Monday, when Lily announced its intention to acquireICOS
Other logical acquisitions for Lilly in the future might be Cubist Pharmaceuticals
Lilly guided for total 2006 sales to grow at the bottom of its 7%-9% growth range for the year, and for earnings per share to come in at $3.10 to $3.20 a share (an 8% to 11% increase over its 2005 earnings per share, on an adjusted basis). Even though this isn't spectacular earnings growth, Lilly does have a nice 2.8% dividend yield to pacify investors until Cymbalta, Cialis, and Byetta sales reach more meaningful levels. That's something that should be worth waiting for.
For further Foolishness:
Fool contributor Brian Lawler does not own shares of any company mentioned in this article. The Fool has a disclosure policy.