U.S. weakness offsets new business

Article Excerpt

MCKESSON CORP. $116 (New York symbol MCK; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 191.8 million; Market cap: $22.2 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.1; Dividend yield 1.3%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.mckesson.com) is the largest wholesale drug distributor in the U.S. and Canada. It also operates drugstores in Europe. The company recently paid $784 million for Medical Specialties Distributors, which distributes blood-infusion and surgical supplies. Thanks to those new operations, McKesson’s revenue in its fiscal 2019 third quarter, ended December 31, 2018, rose 4.8%, to $56.2 billion from $53.6 billion a year earlier. However, earnings fell 6.7%, to $664 million from $712 million. That’s mainly due to a charge for its U.S. pharmaceutical business following the bankruptcy of the Shopko retail chain (and its in-store pharmacies). Due to fewer shares outstanding, earnings per share declined just 0.3%, to $3.40 from $3.41. The stock trades at 8.6 times the $13.55 a share that McKesson should earn in fiscal 2019. That low p/e reflects several…