Special pluses make McKesson a buy

Article Excerpt

MCKESSON CORP. $57 (New York symbol MCK; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 266.1 million; Market cap: $15.2 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.1; WSSF Rating: Average) is the largest wholesale distributor of pharmaceutical drugs in the U.S. and Canada. It also owns 49% of Mexico’s largest drug distributor. Its customers include over 40,000 pharmacies, as well as doctor’s offices, hospitals and clinics. Aside from drugs, the company sells surgical tools and health and beauty products. McKesson’s revenue rose 32.4%, from $80.5 billion in 2005 to $106.6 billion in 2009 (its fiscal year ends March 31). Earnings rose 82.8%, from $653.3 million in 2005 to $1.2 billion in 2009. McKesson aggressively buys back shares, so earnings per share rose 96.3%, from $2.18 in 2005 to $4.28 in 2009. New payment system cuts risk A large part of these gains came from a change in the way McKesson buys drugs from pharmaceutical companies. Under the old method, which ended in 2006, it would have to…