Eli Lilly and Co. raised its guidance for the rest of the year Tuesday after reporting third-quarter earnings and revenue that exceeded analyst expectations.
The Indianapolis-based drug company reported third-quarter profit of $1.15 billion, or $1.12 per share, up from $555.6 million, or 53 cents per share, in the same quarter of 2017.
Earnings adjusted for amortization costs and asset impairment costs came to $1.39 per share, exceeding the average estimate of five analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research of $1.37 per share.
The drugmaker posted revenue of $6.06 billion in the period, up 7.1 percent from a year ago, also topping most forecasts.
Lilly now expects full-year earnings in the range of $5.55 to $5.60 per share, up from a prior range of $5.40 to $5.50.
Lilly’s revenue in the United States rose 11 percent year-over-year, to $3.4 billion, thanks largely to rising sales of diabetes drugs Trulicity and Basgalar, cancer treatment Verzenio and psoriasis medication Taltz.
Trulicity has overtaken Humalog as Lilly’s best-selling drug, with sales of $816.2 million in the quarter. On Monday Lilly announced that a new trial showed Trulicity reduced the risk of heart attack, stroke and heart-related death in patients with type 2 diabetes, a finding that should further boost sales.
Lilly shares fell 4.2 percent in early-morning trading Tuesday, to $105.50 per share, after rising $3.39 cents Monday, to $110.14.
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