{"id":40999,"date":"2013-02-01T16:07:00","date_gmt":"2013-02-01T16:07:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.thestockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/mercks-sales-contract-outlook-cautious-mrk\/40995\/"},"modified":"2013-02-01T16:07:00","modified_gmt":"2013-02-01T16:07:00","slug":"mercks-sales-contract-outlook-cautious-mrk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/mercks-sales-contract-outlook-cautious-mrk\/40999\/","title":{"rendered":"Merck\u2019s Sales Contract, Outlook Cautious (MRK)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script type=\"text\/javascript\"><!--\ngoogle_ad_client = \"ca-pub-1408583772585547\";\n\/* SMW - News Links *\/\ngoogle_ad_slot = \"3490797620\";\ngoogle_ad_width = 468;\ngoogle_ad_height = 15;\n\/\/-->\n<\/script><br \/>\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"http:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/show_ads.js\">\n<\/script><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thestockmarketwatch.com\/stock.aspx?stock=MRK\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NYSE: MRK<\/a>) reported quarterly earnings results that edged past Street\u2019s estimate, investors were disappointed after the pharmaceutical company provided cautious guidance and said that it would postpone seeking approval for its potential blockbuster osteoporosis drug.<\/p>\n<p><span id=\"more-40999\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Merck said on Friday that it would not seek approval for widely anticipated-odanacatib, a treatment for osteoporosis, until next year. According to Jeffrey Holford, an analyst at Jefferies, the delay will disappoint many investors.<\/p>\n<p>Merck\u2019s Chief Executive Kenneth C. Frazier said that that the decision was not taken due to any pressure from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In fact, the Company is confident of its potential and the postponement was necessitated only to include supplementary data from external trail, Frazier said.<\/p>\n<p>For the fiscal fourth quarter, Merck reported adjusted earnings or non-GAAP earnings of 83 cents a share, compared with 97 cents a share, in the year-earlier quarter.\u00a0 A 7.3% drop in fourth-quarter profit was due to last year\u2019s expiration of patent protection for asthma treatment, Singulair, which impacted sales. Singular was once Merck\u2019s top-selling drug. Its sales slumped 67% to $480 million, in the fiscal fourth quarter.<\/p>\n<p>Revenue during the period contracted to $11.7 billion, from $12.29 billion, in the same period of last year.<\/p>\n<p>Analysts\u2019 consensus estimate was for earnings of 81 cents a share on revenue of $11.49 billion, according to a data compiled by Thomson Reuters.<\/p>\n<p>Revenue was boosted by strong sales of Januvia drug, meant for treating diabetes and Gardasil, a vaccine intended to cure cancer.<\/p>\n<p>For fiscal 2013, Merck expects earnings to be in the range of $2.03 to $2.26 per share. On adjusted basis, earnings are expected to come in the range of $3.60 to $3.70 a share on revenue which is expected to be 1% to 2% lower than 2012\u2019s level. In fiscal 2012, revenue stood at $47.27 billion.<\/p>\n<p>Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters were expecting earnings of $3.68 a share on revenue of $45.61 billion.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"nr_clear\"><\/div>\n<div id=\"nrelate_popular_2\" class=\"nrelate nrelate_popular nrelate_default nr_1col nr_text\"><\/div>\n<p>\t<!--[if IE 6]>\n\t\t<script type=\"text\/javascript\">jQuery('.nrelate_default').removeClass('nrelate_default');<\/script>\n\t<![endif]--><\/p>\n<p>\t<script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n\t\/* <![CDATA[ *\/\n\t\tnRelate.domain = \"www2.thestockmarketwatch.com%2Fstock-market-news\";\n\t\tvar entity_decoded_nr_mp_url = jQuery('<span\/>').html(\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20130204002742\/http:\/\/api.nrelate.com\/mpw_wp\/0.51.2\/?tag=nrelate_popular&domain=www2.thestockmarketwatch.com%2Fstock-market-news&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww2.thestockmarketwatch.com%2Fstock-market-news%2Fmercks-sales-contract-outlook-cautious-mrk%2F40999&nr_div_number=2&maxageposts=7200&increment=1\").text();\n\t\tnRelate.getNrelatePosts(entity_decoded_nr_mp_url);\n\t\/* ]]&gt; *\/\n\t<\/script>\n\n\n<div class=\"nr_clear\"><\/div>\n\n\n<script id=\"mNCC\" language=\"javascript\">  medianet_width='600';  medianet_height= '250';  medianet_crid='814932888';  <\/script>  <script id=\"mNSC\" src=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20130204002742js_\/http:\/\/contextual.media.net\/nmedianet.js?cid=8CUT71M67\" language=\"javascript\"><\/script> \n\n\n\n\n<!-- AddThis Button BEGIN -->\n\n\n<div class=\"addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style addthis_32x32_style\">\n<a class=\"addthis_button_preferred_1\"><\/a>\n<a class=\"addthis_button_preferred_2\"><\/a>\n<a class=\"addthis_button_preferred_3\"><\/a>\n<a class=\"addthis_button_preferred_4\"><\/a>\n<a class=\"addthis_button_compact\"><\/a>\n<a class=\"addthis_counter addthis_bubble_style\"><\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\">var addthis_config = {\"data_track_addressbar\":true};<\/script>\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"http:\/\/s7.addthis.com\/js\/250\/addthis_widget.js#pubid=pennystocksfinder\"><\/script>\n<!-- AddThis Button END -->\n\n\n\n\n<p>More Posts by this author<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www2.thestockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/economic-outlook-continues-to-improve-but-sequester-can-spoil-the-party\/41026\">\nEconomic Outlook Continues to Improve but Sequester Can Spoil the Party<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www2.thestockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/chevron-q4-earnings-edge-past-streets-estimate-as-refining-business-flourishes-cvx\/41025\">\nChevron Q4 Earnings Edge Past Street\u2019s Estimate as Refining Business Flourishes (CVX)<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www2.thestockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/gold-prices-settle-higher-logs-weekly-gains-but-outlook-bearish\/41024\">\nGold Prices Settle Higher, Logs weekly Gains but Outlook Bearish<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www2.thestockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/market-update-after-hours-february-1\/41022\">\nMarket Update After Hours February 1<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www2.thestockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/stocks-rally-on-economic-data-end-higher-for-the-week\/41003\">\nStocks Rally on Economic Data; End Higher for the Week<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www2.thestockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/gold-prices-settle-higher-silver-prices-rise-sharply-4\/41002\">\nGold Prices Settle Higher; Silver Prices Rise Sharply<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www2.thestockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/stocks-headed-for-a-sharply-higher-finish-dow-jones-above-14000\/41001\">\nStocks Headed for a Sharply Higher Finish; Dow Jones Above 14,000<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<hr>\n\n\n\n\n\n<table style=\"border:none;margin:0;\">\n\n\n<tr>\n\n\n<td style=\"padding:5px;vertical-align:top;\" valign=\"top\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20130204002742im_\/http:\/\/www2.thestockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/userphoto\/5.jpg\" alt=\"edliston\" width=\"125\" height=\"125\" class=\"photo\"><\/td>\n\n\n\n\n<td style=\"padding:5px;vertical-align:top;\" valign=\"top\">\n\n\n<div style=\"font-size:11pt;\"><b>Post Written By: Ed Liston <\/b><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<div style=\"font-size:10pt;\">\n\nEd Liston is a senior contributing editor at TheStockMarketWatch.com. An active market watcher and investor, Ed guides an independent team of experienced analysts and writes for multiple stock trader publications. He is widely quoted in various financial publications on the Internet. When Ed is not writing about stocks, investing in stocks, talking about stocks, or otherwise doing something stock related, he likes to go sailing and fishing in his yacht.\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/td>\n\n<\/tr>\n\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<!--script type=\"text\/javascript\">\ngoogle_ad_client = \"pub-1408583772585547\";\n\/* 336x280, created 7\/9\/11 *\/\ngoogle_ad_slot = \"3552319058\";\ngoogle_ad_width = 336;\ngoogle_ad_height = 280;\n\n<\/script>\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\"\nsrc=\"http:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/show_ads.js\">\n<\/script-->\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\n\t\n\n<div style=\"margin:5px;margin-bottom:20px;font-size:11pt;\">&laquo; <a href=\"https:\/\/thestockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/\">Return to Stock Market News<\/a> &laquo; <\/div>\n\n\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NYSE: MRK) reported quarterly earnings results that edged past Street\u2019s estimate, investors were disappointed after the pharmaceutical company provided cautious [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":50312,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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