Financial News

BELLEVUE, Wash. — Drugstore.com posted a 23% increase in adjusted net sales during its fourth quarter ended Jan. 2.

Total sales for the quarter were $123.6 million. Drugstore.com also said that it served 533,000 new customers, excluding its strategic partnerships.

The company also report a narrowed loss of $663,000, or 1 cent per share, an improvement from the prior-year period, when Drugstore.com recorded a net loss of $1.6 million and a net loss per share of 2 cents per share.

PRINCETON, N.J. — Church & Dwight celebrated an earnings per share increase of 10% to $3.75 per share by ringing the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange Tuesday.

C&D posted 2010 sales increases of 2.7% to $2.6 billion.

IRVINGTON, N.Y. — Prestige Brands posted gains of 22.7% in revenue, reaching $90.6 million for its third quarter ended Dec. 31.

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — Customers facing economic challenges caused a decline in Stater Bros.' first-quarter sales, the Southern California supermarket chain said Wednesday.

For the quarter ended Dec. 26, Stater Bros. experienced a 2.3% decline in supermarket sales, as did same-store sales — which dropped to $21.3 million — for the period. The chain said that its customers "continue to face tough economic challenges as our economy continues to have a negative effect on their family budgets."

JERUSALEM — Drug maker Teva on Tuesday said its North American sales during the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31 drove the drug maker's financial well-being.

MIAMI — Navarro Discount Pharmacies announced that its wholesale and export subsidiary, Magellan Distribution Solutions, has acquired the assets of Buxco Inc. and will be providing fulfillment solution services for the network of 150 independently owned retail pharmacies.

"Growing our wholesale and export business through Magellan is part of Navarro's three-year expansion plan," stated Steve Kaczynski, CEO of Navarro Discount Pharmacies, which operates 28 stores in the Miami area.

NEW YORK — One of the world's largest drug makers has entered a definitive agreement to purchase a Copenhagen-based consumer healthcare business.

Pfizer said Monday that it agreed to acquire from Altor 2003 Fund GP Limited Ferrosan’s consumer healthcare business, which includes a portfolio of such dietary supplements and lifestyle products as Multi-Tabs and Bifiform. Ferrosan caters to such markets as Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Turkey and many countries throughout Central and Eastern Europe.

NEW YORK — Fisk Industries, a manufacturer of niche-oriented cosmetics and health- and beauty-aid products, has acquired the Barielle line of nail, skin and foot care products.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.