AstraZeneca (AZN) Tops Q1 EPS by 2c; Offers FY16 Outlook
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AstraZeneca (NYSE: AZN) reported Q1 EPS of $0.51, $0.02 better than the analyst estimate of $0.49. Revenue for the quarter came in at $6.12 billion versus the consensus estimate of $5.96 billion.
Pascal Soriot, Chief Executive Officer, commenting on the results said:
“We delivered a first-quarter performance in line with expectations, with the growth in Total Revenue underpinned by the performance of the Growth Platforms. I was particularly pleased with the results in China, where we continued to deliver double-digit sales growth, and with the progress of our New Oncology launches. |
“Strong advances were made in our late-stage pipeline, with regulatory approvals for Bevespi Aerosphere in the US for COPD, Brilique in the EU for post-myocardial infarction and Tagrisso in Japan for lung cancer. Looking ahead, we anticipate increased newsflow across the pipeline, including a number of regulatory decisions and data readouts, particularly in Oncology. |
“As we continue to make encouraging progress with our priorities and our pipeline grows faster than anticipated, we are further sharpening our strategic focus on our main therapy areas, intensifying our efforts in Oncology and accelerating collaborations in opportunistic areas. We are also driving greater efficiency across the organisation to support the advancement of our strategy.” |
Advancing The Strategy Through Sharper Focus
AstraZeneca continues to make significant progress towards the Total Revenue target of $45bn* by 2023. The Company has increased pipeline productivity, built therapy-area leadership, developed the Growth Platforms and transformed AstraZeneca’s culture. The shape of the business is evolving rapidly, with a growing number of specialty-care medicines, in particular in Oncology. |
In line with the strategy designed to deliver benefits to patients and value for shareholders, the Company today announces further focus on the main therapy areas to drive greater productivity across the organisation. The prioritisation of investments will be sharpened, enabling the allocation of additional investment to Oncology. Alongside this, the Company will continue to work with others in the opportunity-led parts of the portfolio, such as Infection, Neuroscience and inflammatory diseases outside Respiratory. |
This focus will streamline further AstraZeneca’s operations, primarily in commercial and manufacturing. This, together with the drive for greater efficiency, will deliver a material decline in Core SG&A costs in FY 2016 and FY 2017. |
These changes will enhance operational effectiveness and, once implemented by the end of FY 2017, are expected to generate net annualised benefits of $1.1bn1 that will be reflected primarily within Core SG&A costs. Associated with the changes, the Company expects to incur $1.5bn1 in one-time restructuring charges, the majority of which will be cash costs. Final estimates for programme costs, benefits and colleague impacts will be subject to consultation. |
FY 2016 Guidance
All guidance for FY 2016 is unchanged and is shown at CER1.
Total Revenue | A low to mid single-digit percentage decline |
Core Earnings Per Share | A low to mid single-digit percentage decline |
The above guidance incorporates the dilutive effects arising from the Acerta Pharma B.V. (Acerta Pharma) and ZS Pharma, Inc. (ZS Pharma) transactions announced in FY 2015. The guidance also assumes the loss of exclusivity for Crestor in the US from May 2016.
Externalisation Revenue is expected to be ahead of that in FY 2015, including an increasing element of recurring income arising from prior agreements. This is in line with the Company’s long-term business model, which includes externalisation as part of the portfolio-management strategy.
Externalisation activities, a result of increasing R&D productivity and the focus on three main therapy areas, relate to specific risk and reward-sharing strategic collaborations. They broaden, accelerate and maximise the development and commercialisation potential for a number of the Company’s medicines. Initial and milestone revenue, together with sales-related revenue arising from externalisation activities, are included in the Company’s financial statements as Externalisation Revenue.
Core R&D costs are expected to be at a similar level to FY 2015. The Company is committed to materially reducing Core SG&A costs in FY 2016 versus the prior year. These measures are based on constant exchange rates.
For earnings history and earnings-related data on AstraZeneca (AZN) click here.
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