Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.
What: Shares of PharMerica (PMC +0.00%), the second-largest nursing home pharmacy in the U.S., dipped as much as 19% after the company disclosed the loss of a large client in an 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission after the bell yesterday.
So what: According to its SEC filing, PharMerica has been informed by Kindred Healthcare (KND +0.00%), its largest customer, that it would not be renewing its contract for skilled nursing pharmacy services when it's due to expire on Dec. 31. Kindred was responsible for 11.5% of PharMerica's total revenue last year. To add insult to injury, Bank of America/Merrill Lynch cut its price target on PharMerica by $1 to $17 from $18, citing the projected loss of 10% of gross profit, although it did also point to cost savings from no longer dealing with Kindred as a positive.
Now what: No magic wand is going to fix the loss of PharMerica's largest customer -- at least in the short run. On paper, PharMerica's story makes sense because an aging baby boomer population will soon need greater access to medical care of all forms, including within nursing facilities. However, I have to wonder if Kindred's departure is an anomaly or a trend of things to come in a highly competitive space. For now I'd suggest sticking to the sidelines and seeing how the next few quarters play out for PharMerica.
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