By Carlo Martuscelli 
 

AstraZeneca PLC (AZN.LN) reported its fourth-quarter and full-year results on Thursday, sending shares higher after it guided for growth in the year ahead.

 

REVENUE: The drugmaker said revenue rose 11% to $6.42 billion in the quarter ended Dec. 31, ahead of analysts' expectations of $6.32 billion, based on a FactSet consensus forecast.

 

CORE EPS: AstraZeneca reported that core earnings per share--a closely-watched company measure that strips out exceptional items--increased 22% to $1.58 in the fourth quarter. This beat analysts' expectations of $1.48.

 

WHAT WE WATCHED:

The company reported a 19% decrease in core EPS in the full year to $3.46. However, Astra said it sees a return to growth in 2019, forecasting core EPS in the range of $3.50 to $3.70. Product sales are also set to increase by a high single-digit percentage, it said.

The pharmaceutical major is benefiting from a strong portfolio of cancer drugs. Sales of Tagrisso--a targeted treatment for non-small-cell lung carcinomas--nearly doubled in the fourth quarter to $594 million. Other new cancer drugs such as Imfinzi and Lynparza are also netting the company hundreds of million of dollars in sales.

Strong sales in China have provided a further tailwind to earnings. Product sales in the country increased 22% at constant exchange rates to $948 million in the quarter.

 

Write to Carlo Martuscelli at carlo.martuscelli@dowjones.com

 

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

February 14, 2019 05:39 ET (10:39 GMT)

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