Friday, June 27, 2014

Rite Aid is All Right

Needed some relief after the meals below:

"Rite Aid 1Q profit drops on costs, revenue rises"  AP   June 20, 2014

CAMP HILL, Pa. — Rite Aid’s fiscal first-quarter profit fell 55 percent as it dealt with higher-than-expected drug costs and reimbursement rate reductions.

The nation’s third-largest drugstore chain reported net income attributable to common stockholders of $41.4 million, or 4 cents per share.

A year earlier it earned $91 million, or 9 cents. Analysts surveyed by FactSet expected earnings of 4 cents per share.

Revenue climbed 3 percent to $6.47 billion, from $6.29 billion, mostly due to better sales at pharmacies open at least a year.

That's the important thing.

Analysts surveyed by FactSet expected revenue of $6.44 billion.

Sales at stores open at least a year rose 3.1 percent, while sales at pharmacies open at least a year increased 4.6 percent.

This figure is a key gauge of a retailer’s health because it excludes results from locations that were recently opened or closed.

Rite Aid Corp. said that the number of prescriptions it filled in stores open at least a year climbed 2.3 percent from a year before.

Prescription sales made up 68.4 percent of total drugstore sales, and third-party prescription revenue was 97.4 percent of pharmacy sales.

The company maintained its fiscal 2015 forecast for earnings between 30 cents and 40 cents per share.

Revenue is still anticipated in a range of $26 billion to $26.5 billion.

Wall Street is looking for full-year earnings of 35 cents per share on revenue of $26.19 billion.

The company’s shares fell 26 cents, or 3.5 percent, to close at $7.18 on Thursday.

Rite Aid has 4,581 stores in 31 states and the District of Columbia.

--more--"

For some reason I'm feeling sick.