2013年7月18日讯 /生物谷BIOON/ --雅培（Abbott）7月17日公布了优于预期的第二季度盈利数据，这主要是因为营养品的强劲需求抵消了医疗设备和仿制处方药的销售下降。
尽管盈利（earnings）下降，但该公司的全年利润预期（full-year profit forecast）不变，为每股1.98-2.04美元。
美国富国银行（WELLS FARGO）分析师Larry Biegelsen在一份研究报告中称，雅培第二季度盈利数据优于预期，这主要是提高了利润率（profit margins）和成本控制。
营养品销售，包括Similac婴儿配方奶粉和Ensure成人饮品，销售增长7.9%至17亿美元，占雅培总收入的近1/3。医疗诊断产品销售额上涨1.5%至11.4亿美元，医疗设备销售额下滑1.6%至13.6亿美元，仿制药销售下降2.3%至12.2亿美元。
随着最近几周中国对可能的价格操纵和反竞争行为的调查，雅培和婴幼儿配方奶粉竞争对手均降低了产品价格，包括美赞臣（Mead Johnson Nutrition Co），达能SA（Danone SA）和雀巢（Nestle SA）。
雅培配方奶粉在中国的年销售约为4亿美元，仅占该公司整体销售额的2%左右。雅培CEO Miles White周三表示，中国政府的调查不会影响该国对配方奶粉需求的强劲增长势头。同时White称，幸运的是，中国市场并不占该公司营养业务的很大一部分。（生物谷Bioon.com）
英文原文：Abbott profit beats forecast, nutritional products strong
Wed Jul 17, 2013 4:17pm EDT (Reuters) - Abbott Laboratories (ABT.N) reported better-than-expected second-quarter earnings on Wednesday as strong demand for nutritional products offset lower sales of medical devices and generic prescription drugs.
Despite the earnings beat, Abbott left its full-year profit forecast unchanged at $1.98 to $2.04 per share.
Results beat expectations because of improved profit margins and cost controls, Wells Fargo analyst Larry Biegelsen said in a research note.
Sales of nutritional products, including Similac infant formula and Ensure beverages for adults, rose 7.9 percent to $1.7 billion, representing almost a third of Abbott's total revenue.
Abbott and rival infant formula makers, including Mead Johnson Nutrition Co (MJN.N), Danone SA (DANO.PA) and Nestle SA (NESN.VX), have cut prices of their products in recent weeks following an investigation by China into possible price-fixing and anti-competitive behavior.
Abbott formulas have annual sales of about $400 million in China, representing about 2 percent of overall company sales.
Abbott Chief Executive Miles White on Wednesday said the investigations are unlikely to derail growing demand in China for the products.
"I think the market dynamics remain robust," White said. "And fortunately for us, China doesn't represent a disproportionately large portion of the nutrition business."
Glenn Novarro, an analyst with RBC Capital Markets, said Abbott shares had dipped as much as five percent in the past month on concerns about the China investigation and price cuts, and are a buying opportunity.
Abbott's profit margins improved during the quarter in part because the company is building its nutritionals factories closer to customers in emerging markets, said Stifel Nicolaus & Co analyst Rick Wise. "So they're reducing transportation costs."
Abbott, which in January spun off its branded prescription drugs business into a new company called AbbVie Inc (ABBV.N), earned $476 million, or 30 cents per share, from continuing operations in the quarter, up from $411 million, or 26 cents per share, a year earlier.
Excluding special items, profit was 46 cents per share, beating analysts' average estimate by 2 cents, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Revenue rose 2.5 percent to $5.45 billion, slightly below Wall Street expectations for $5.52 billion. Revenue would have risen 4.2 percent if not for the stronger dollar, which hurts the value of sales in overseas markets.
Sales from the company's array of medical diagnostics rose 5.3 percent to $1.14 billion.
Medical device sales slipped 1.6 percent to $1.36 billion, but that was an improvement from the almost five 5 percent decline in the first quarter.
Sales of generic drugs, which Abbott calls established pharmaceuticals, were off 2.3 percent to $1.22 billion.
"If there's a weakness in the Abbott story, it's established pharmaceuticals," said Joanne Wuensch, an analyst with BMO Capital Markets. She noted the company is making management changes in hopes of revitalizing the business segment.
Abbott shares were up 0.4 percent to $35.83 on the New York Stock Exchange.
