McKesson continues to expand in Europe

Article Excerpt

MCKESSON CORP. $198 (New York symbol MCK; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 232.0 million; Market cap: $45.9 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.3; Dividend yield: 0.6%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.mckesson .com) is buying UDG Healthcare’s wholesale distribution operations. These businesses deliver prescription drugs and other products to drugstores in Ireland and Northern Ireland. McKesson also recently agreed to acquire 281 Sainsbury’s pharmacies in the U.K. The company expects to complete these purchases in the first half of 2016. It will pay roughly $600 million for both of these businesses, which together should add $0.10 to $0.14 a share to its annual earnings. To put these figures in context, McKesson earned $2.6 billion, or $11.11 a share, in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2015. These purchases are part of the company’s plan to cut its reliance on North America, which accounts for 90% of its revenue. However, using acquisitions to expand adds risk. McKesson is a hold. hold…