McKesson cuts its earnings outlook

Article Excerpt

MCKESSON CORP. $142 (New York symbol MCK; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 226.1 million; Market cap: $32.1 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.2; Dividend yield 0.8%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.mckesson.com) agreed to buy the Rexall chain of 470 drug stores in Canada for $2.2 billion in March 2016. To satisfy Canadian competition regulators, the company will sell 26 of these stores. That will let it complete the acquisition in late 2016 or early 2017. McKesson already distributes prescription drugs and other products to Rexall, so this familiarity should help speed up the integration process. The company expects the new operations will add to its earnings in the first year. The stock is down 27% in the past year. That’s because greater competition and lower drug prices have hurt profits at its main pharmaceutical distribution business. As a result, McKesson now expects to earn between $12.35 and $12.85 a share in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2017. That’s down from its earlier projection…