Inverness Medical turns profit in 3Q as flu revenue up almost sixfold, acquisitions lift sales
By APTuesday, October 27, 2009
Surging flu revenue helps Inverness post 3Q profit
WALTHAM, Mass. — Diagnostics company Inverness Medical Innovations Inc. said Tuesday it turned a profit in the third quarter as sales of flu tests jumped more than fivefold.
Inverness reported a profit of $14.3 million, or 17 cents per share. Leaving out one-time costs such as amortization, restructuring and stock-based compensation, it earned $66.6 million, or 74 cents per share. Inverness lost $9.1 million, or 12 cents per share, a year ago.
According to Thomson Reuters, analysts expected a profit of 61 cents per share, on average. Inverness shares set an annual high of $42.99 Tuesday. In afternoon trading they returned some of their earlier gains, but were still up 68 cents at $40.92.
The company said its net revenue climbed 22 percent to $535.8 million from $438.8 million. That included $40.4 million in North American flu product revenue, compared to $6.8 million a year ago. Inverness also reported $37.4 million in revenue from acquisitions, such as a diagnostic kit business it bought from ACON Laboratories in March, and its recent purchase of Concateno PLC.
Analysts had expected $491.7 million in revenue.
