GlaxoSmithKline Plc on Wednesday forecast a smaller than previously estimated fall in full-year profit after the British drugmaker beat profit consensus for the second quarter due to demand for its fast-growing Shingles vaccine.
Shares of the FTSE-100 member were up 2% at 1,698 pence as Chief Executive Officer Emma Walmsley outlined “another standout quarter” for the vaccine, with sales more than doubling.
The quarter bodes well for Walmsley's plans to rejuvenate GSK's operations, which has included the spin-off or sale of a number of units since she took over in 2017 to focus on the company's core pharmaceuticals business.
Shingrix Boost
Sales of shingles vaccine Shingrix soared to £386 million in the three-month period, above analysts' expectations of 366 million pounds.
Shingrix was launched in 2017 and the British drugmaker predicts sales of the vaccine will be "significantly" more than £1 billion in 2019.
GSK now expects annual earnings for 2019 to decline by between 3% and 5%, an improvement from a previous forecast of a 5% to 9% fall at constant currency.
The new forecast reflects improved operating performance, as well as lower interest expense, the company said.
GSK's turnover rose 5% to 7.81 billion pounds in the second quarter ended June 30, compared with analysts' expectation of £7.65 billion.
Adjusted earnings were 30.5 pence per share in the second quarter. Analysts on average had expected earnings of 25.8 pence, according to a company-compiled consensus https://www.gsk.com/en-gb/investors/analyst-consensus/analyst-consensus of 10 analysts.
Non-Executive Chairman
The company earlier on Wednesday appointed HSBC's Jonathan Symonds to succeed Philip Hampton as non-executive chairman, ending a six-month search as the drugmaker prepares to split its businesses into two.
Symonds was formerly finance chief at GSK rivals Novartis and AstraZeneca.
News by Reuters, edited by Checkout. Additional reporting by Aidan O'Sullivan. Click subscribe to sign up for the Checkout print edition.
