AmerisourceBergen Holds Annual Investor Day

December 12, 2013

Reiterates Expectations for Fiscal 2014 Adjusted Diluted EPS from Continuing Operations to be in the range of $3.60 to $3.73

VALLEY FORGE, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 12, 2013-- AmerisourceBergen Corporation (NYSE:ABC) today announced that it will reiterate its previously stated expectations for the Company’s financial performance in fiscal 2014 at its annual Investor Day today in New York. The presentations will begin at 12:45 pm Eastern Time on Thursday, December 12, 2013, and will be webcast live through www.amerisourcebergen.com.

AmerisourceBergen continues to expect adjusted diluted earnings per share from continuing operations in fiscal year 2014 to be in the range of $3.60 to $3.73, a 12 percent to 16 percent increase over the $3.21 in fiscal 2013. Key assumptions supporting that range are:

  • revenue growth in the range of 28 percent to 31 percent;
  • operating income growth in the 12 percent to 16 percent range;
  • operating margin decline in the high teens basis points range due to the on-boarding of significant new lower margin business;
  • free cash flow in the range of $500 to $700 million, with capital expenditures in the $300 million range; and
  • approximately $500 million in share repurchases, with the majority occurring in the second half of fiscal 2014, subject to market conditions.

Adjusted earnings exclude:

  • LIFO charges and credits;
  • Warrant expense;
  • Acquisition related expenses and intangibles amortization;
  • Special one-time employee severance, litigation, and other expenses; and
  • Gains from antitrust litigation settlements.

In addition, we will calculate our adjusted earnings per share for each period using a diluted weighted average share count which will exclude the accounting dilution resulting from the impact of the unexercised equity warrants.

About AmerisourceBergen

AmerisourceBergen is one of the largest global pharmaceutical sourcing and distribution services companies, helping both healthcare providers and pharmaceutical and biotech manufacturers improve patient access to products and enhance patient care. With services ranging from drug distribution and niche premium logistics to reimbursement and pharmaceutical consulting services, AmerisourceBergen delivers innovative programs and solutions across the pharmaceutical supply channel. With nearly $100 billion in annualized revenue, AmerisourceBergen is headquartered in Valley Forge, PA, and employs approximately 13,000 people. AmerisourceBergen is ranked #32 on the Fortune 500 list. For more information, go to www.amerisourcebergen.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain of the statements contained in this press release are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Words such as "expect," "likely," "outlook," "forecast," "would," "could," "should," "can," "will," "project," "intend," "plan," "continue," "sustain," "synergy," "on track," "believe," "seek," "estimate," "anticipate," "may," "possible," "assume," variations of such words, and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These statements are based on management's current expectations and are subject to uncertainty and change in circumstances. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are based on assumptions that could prove incorrect or could cause actual results to vary materially from those indicated. Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected, anticipated, or implied are the following: changes in pharmaceutical market growth rates; the loss of one or more key customer or supplier relationships; the retention of key customer or supplier relationships under less favorable economics; changes in customer mix; customer delinquencies, defaults or insolvencies; supplier defaults or insolvencies; changes in branded and/or generic pharmaceutical manufacturers' pricing and distribution policies or practices; adverse resolution of any contract or other dispute with customers or suppliers; federal and state government enforcement initiatives to detect and prevent suspicious orders of controlled substances and the diversion of controlled substances, federal and state prosecution of alleged violations of related laws and regulations, and any related litigation, including shareholder derivative lawsuits; qui tam litigation for alleged violations of fraud and abuse laws and regulations and/or any other laws and regulations governing the marketing, sale, purchase and/or dispensing of pharmaceutical products or services and any related litigation, including shareholder derivative lawsuits; changes in federal and state legislation or regulatory action affecting pharmaceutical product pricing or reimbursement policies, including under Medicaid and Medicare, and the effect of such changes on our customers; changes in regulatory or clinical medical guidelines and/or labeling for the pharmaceutical products we distribute, including certain anemia products; price inflation in branded pharmaceuticals and price deflation in generics; greater or less than anticipated benefit from launches of the generic versions of previously patented pharmaceutical products; significant breakdown or interruption of our information technology systems; our inability to realize the anticipated benefits of the implementation of an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system; interest rate and foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations; risks associated with international business operations, including non-compliance with the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, anti-bribery laws and economic sanctions and import laws and regulations; economic, business, competitive and/or regulatory developments outside of the United States; risks associated with the strategic, long-term relationship among Walgreen Co., Alliance Boots GmbH, and AmerisourceBergen, the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination, cross-termination or modification of any of the transaction documents among the parties (including, among others, the distribution agreement or the generics agreement), an impact on our earnings per share resulting from the issuance of the Warrants, an inability to realize anticipated benefits (including benefits resulting from participation in the Walgreens Boots Alliance Development GmbH joint venture), the disruption of AmerisourceBergen's cash flow and ability to return value to its stockholders in accordance with its past practices, disruption of or changes in vendor, payer and customer relationships and terms, and the reduction of AmerisourceBergen's operational, strategic or financial flexibility; the acquisition of businesses that do not perform as we expect or that are difficult for us to integrate or control; our inability to successfully complete any other transaction that we may wish to pursue from time to time; changes in tax laws or legislative initiatives that could adversely affect our tax positions and/or our tax liabilities or adverse resolution of challenges to our tax positions; increased costs of maintaining, or reductions in our ability to maintain, adequate liquidity and financing sources; volatility and deterioration of the capital and credit markets; natural disasters or other unexpected events that affect our operations; and other economic, business, competitive, legal, tax, regulatory and/or operational factors affecting our business generally. Certain additional factors that management believes could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements are set forth (i) in Item 1 (Business) and Item 1A (Risk Factors) in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2013 and elsewhere in that report and (ii) in other reports filed by the Company pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. Except to the extent required by law, AmerisourceBergen does not undertake, and expressly disclaims, any duty or obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement after the date of this report, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions or otherwise.

Source: AmerisourceBergen Corporation

AmerisourceBergen Corporation
Barbara Brungess, 610-727-7199
bbrungess@amerisourcebergen.com