Financial News

VALLEY FORGE, Pa. — AmerisourceBergen on Thursday posted revenue of $19.8 billion, up 2.4%, for its second quarter ended March 31.

"In the March quarter, we delivered outstanding performance on top of very strong performance last year," stated David Yost, AmerisourceBergen CEO.

PARIS — Sanofi-Aventis on Thursday reported strong sales out of the gate for its recently switched second-generation antihistamine Allegra.

Allegra generated in excess of $26.7 million within its first month available as a nonprescription allergy treatment in the U.S. market, becoming No. 2 in terms of dollar share of allergy, the company reported.

First-quarter sales of Sanofi’s Consumer Health Care totaled $1.1 billion, representing an increase of 40.3%.

ISSAQUAH, Wash. — Wholesaler Costco on Tuesday said its board of directors has approved a $4 billion share buyback program. The company also raised its quarterly dividend by 17% to 24 cents, up from 20.5 cents.

The share buyback program expires in April 2015 and replaces a previous plan set to expire in July, which had $800 million remaining, the company said.

TORONTO — Shoppers Drug Mart posted a 2.7% boost in first-quarter sales, driven by strong front-store sales gains that benefited from marketing campaigns, promotions and market share gains of the company's core health, beauty and convenience categories.

Front-end same-store sales rose 4.4% during the quarter ended March 26. Sales at the front end were C$1.197 billion ($1.26 billion), up 6% compared with the year-ago period.

NEW YORK — Colgate-Palmolive announced on Thursday that worldwide net sales rose 4.5% during the first quarter as net income and diluted earnings per share totaled $576 million and $1.16, respectively.

Worldwide net sales totaled about $4 billion during the first quarter, an increase of 4.5% compared with the year-ago period. Organic sales grew 1.5%.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens has inked a deal to acquire 10 Carle RxExpress pharmacies from The Carle Foundation, an integrated network of healthcare services based in East Central Illinois.

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Net income for Safeway dropped due to a tax charge and the retailer's decision to repatriate $1.1 billion from its wholly owned Canadian subsidiary, although the company noted revenue rose nearly 5%.

Net income for the first quarter ended March 26 dropped to $25.1 million, or 7 cents per diluted share, compared with $96 million, or 25 cents per diluted share, in first quarter 2010. Excluding the tax charge, Safeway said first-quarter net income was $105.3 million, or 29 cents per diluted share.

SALT LAKE CITY — Health Station Networks will acquire “substantially all” of the assets of Sentry Health Monitors, which owns and operates more than 20,000 health monitors in pharmacies and other locations in the United States and Canada previously owned by Lifeclinic International, under a binding letter of intent.