прибыль компании в третьем квартале составила $3,74 млрд или 48 центов на акцию по сравнению с $866 млн или 11 центами на акцию годом ранее. Без учета некоторых статей прибыль составила 62 цента на акцию, аналитики в среднем ожидали 56 центов на одну бумагу.

Выручка за рассматриваемый период повысилась на 7% до $17,19 млрд, аналитики в среднем ожидали $16,42 млрд.

Американская фармацевтическая компания Pfizer Inc. была основана в 1849г. и с тех пор является одним из мировых лидеров рынка. Современное название компания получила в июне 2000г. в результате слияния компаний Pfizer и Warner-Lambert Company. В портфолио препаратов компании входят такие лекарственные средства, как препарат по борьбе с эректильной дисфункцией Viagra. Препараты Pfizer производятся на заводах в 46 странах, общий штат - более 100 тыс. человек.

Pfizer продает часть непрофильных активов, чтобы активизировать разработки новых препаратов и подготовиться к возможным убыткам в связи с истечением в ноябре срока действия патента на самый продающийся в мире препарат для снижения уровня холестерина - Lipitor, который ежегодно приносит компании $10,7 млрд выручки.

Pfizer улучшил прогноз скорректированной прибыли на 2011 год с $2,16-2,26 на акцию до $2,24-2,29 на акцию. Аналитики прогнозируют $2,25.

Акции Pfizer на предварительных торгах во вторник подорожали на 0,5%. С начала года рыночная капитализация компании выросла на 10%.

NEW YORK (AP) - Drugmaker Pfizer Inc. beat Wall Street expectations with higher profit and revenue in the third quarter, the last before generic competition starts wiping out sales of Lipitor, the cholesterol blockbuster that has buoyed the company for years.

Pfizer said that its third-quarter profit more than tripled, lifted by higher international revenue, the sale of a business and much lower charges compared with the year before. Pfizer also raised its earnings outlook.

The world's biggest drugmaker said its net income was $3.74 billion, or 48 cents a share. That was boosted by a $1.32 billion gain from the August sale of its Capsugel capsule-making business.

A year earlier, Pfizer reported net income of $866 million, or 11 cents per share, depressed by $3.51 billion in charges, including restructuring costs, severence payments and asset writedowns related to Pfizer's 2009 purchase of fellow drugmaker Wyeth and a $701 million litigation reserve.

The maker of impotence pill Viagra and smoking cessation drug Chantix said adjusted income was 62 cents per share. That excludes net charges totaling nearly $1.1 billion: $2.26 billion for writedowns of assets with reduced values, $242 million for acquisition-related costs and $891 million for restructuring and legal costs, partly offset by the gain from the Capsugel sale. The acquisition costs include continuing charges from the Wyeth puchase, plus Pfizer's $3.6 billion purchase of pain-drug maker King Pharmaceuticals Inc. on Feb. 28.

Revenue rose 7% to $17.2 billion, including a 6% boost from favorable currency exchange rates.

The results beat expectations for adjusted earnings of 55 cents per share on revenue of $16.43 billion.

Pfizer raised its 2011 profit forecast to a range of $1.20 to $1.30 per share, from $1.09 to $1.24 per share. Excluding one-time items, it expects earnings per share of $2.24 to $2.29, also up several cents.

The company reaffirmed its forecast for 2012, the first full year after Lipitor, the world's top-selling drug with about $11 billion in annual revenue, loses its U.S. patent on Nov. 30. The company expects 2012 revenue of about $63.5 billion and adjusted earnings per share of $2.25 to $2.35.

"Overall, I am very pleased with our financial performance despite the impact of product losses of exclusivity totaling approximately $950 million this quarter and the challenges posed by current global market and economic conditions," CEO Ian Read said in a statement, adding, "We remain well prepared for the Lipitor U.S. loss of exclusivity later this month and in various other countries shortly thereafter."

U.S. revenue fell 3% to $6.9 billion, but international revenue, boosted by currency exchange rates, rose 15% to $10.3 billion.

Prescription drug sales totaled $1.75 billion, up 6%, as sales in emerging markets such as China and India jumped 18% to $2.45 billion.

Sales were led by Lipitor, down 2% at $2.6 billion, although U.S. sales jumped 13% to $1.47 billion because of price increases and a final advertising push.

Prevnar, a blockbuster vaccine against ear, brain and blood infections, saw sales jump 35% to $1.01 billion. An older version covering fewer strains of pneumococcal disease added $98 million in sales.

Lyrica, for pain and fibromyalgia, and arthritis drug Enbrel both had strong growth, with each bringing in about $1 billion in the quarter. Sales of painkiller Celebrex rose 8% to $643 million, and Viagra sales edged up 2% to $493 million.

Meanwhile, sales of 24 other drugs declined, mostly because of competition from cheaper generic versions.

Sales of veterinary medicines rose 21% to $1.04 billion, consumer health products were up 15% to $774 million and nutrition products such as Centrum vitamins grew 31 percent to $577 million.

Date: November 1, 2011
Source: Associated Press