Webcasts Investor Day Meeting Today
VALLEY FORGE, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 11, 2008--AmerisourceBergen Corporation (NYSE:ABC) today will reaffirm its
previous fiscal year 2009 guidance at its Investor Day Meeting in New
York City. The Company is hosting a webcast of the meeting today
beginning at 12:30 pm Eastern Standard Time.
The Company continues to expect diluted earnings per share for fiscal
year 2009 to be in a range of $3.08 to $3.25, which represents an
increase of 7 percent to 12 percent over the $2.89 from continuing
operations in fiscal year 2008. Also unchanged are the key assumptions
supporting this diluted earnings per share range, which are: total
revenue growth of between 1 percent and 3 percent, reflecting expected
market conditions, customer mix, and the 3 percent negative impact from
the loss on July 1, 2008 of a large retail drug chain; operating margin
expansion in the low to mid single digit basis point range; and free
cash flow in the range of $460 million to $535 million, which includes
capital expenditures in the $140 million range. Assumptions also
included the expected spending of approximately $350 million to
repurchase AmerisourceBergen common shares in fiscal 2009.
AmerisourceBergen will webcast its Investor Day Meeting today beginning
at 12:30 pm Eastern Standard Time through approximately 3:00 pm.
Participating in the meeting will be: R. David Yost, President and Chief
Executive Officer; Michael D. DiCandilo, Executive Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer of AmerisourceBergen, and Chief Operating
Officer of AmerisourceBergen Drug Corporation; Steven H. Collis,
Executive Vice President of AmerisourceBergen and President
AmerisourceBergen Specialty Group; Antonio Pera, Senior Vice President,
Supply Chain Management; and Peyton Howell, AmerisourceBergen Specialty
Group, President of Consulting Services and Health Policy. To access the
live webcast, go to the Webcasts section on the Investor Relations page
at www.amerisourcebergen.com.
A replay of the webcast will be available for 30 days.
About AmerisourceBergen
AmerisourceBergen is one of the world's largest pharmaceutical services
companies serving the United States, Canada and selected global markets.
Servicing both pharmaceutical manufacturers and healthcare providers in
the pharmaceutical supply channel, the Company provides drug
distribution and related services designed to reduce costs and improve
patient outcomes. AmerisourceBergen's service solutions range from
pharmacy automation and pharmaceutical packaging to reimbursement and
pharmaceutical consulting services. With more than $70 billion in annual
revenue, AmerisourceBergen is headquartered in Valley Forge, PA, and
employs approximately 11,000 people. AmerisourceBergen is ranked #28 on
the Fortune 500 list. For more information, go to www.amerisourcebergen.com.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This news release contains forward-looking statements about
AmerisourceBergen's future business and financial performance, estimates
and prospects. These statements are based on our current expectations
and are subject to uncertainty and change in circumstances. 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; changes in customer mix; customer or supplier
defaults or insolvencies; changes in 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; changes in U.S. legislation or regulatory action
affecting pharmaceutical product pricing or reimbursement policies,
including under Medicaid and Medicare; changes in regulatory or clinical
medical guidelines and/or labeling for the pharmaceuticals we
distribute, including erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) used to
treat anemia patients; price inflation in branded pharmaceuticals and
price deflation in generics; significant breakdown or interruption of
our information technology systems; success of integration,
restructuring or systems initiatives; interest rate and foreign currency
exchange rate fluctuations; economic, business, competitive and/or
regulatory developments in Canada, the United Kingdom and elsewhere
outside of the United States; the impact of divestitures or 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 legislation or adverse resolution of challenges to
our tax positions; our ability to maintain adequate liquidity and
financing sources; continued volatility and further deterioration of the
capital markets; and other economic, business, competitive, legal, tax,
regulatory and/or operational factors affecting our business generally.
Our most recent annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Forms
10-Q and current reports 8-K (which we may revise or supplement in
future reports filed to the SEC) provide additional information about
these risks, uncertainties and other matters. We do not undertake to
update our forward-looking statements.
CONTACT: AmerisourceBergen Corporation
Michael N. Kilpatric, 610-727-7118
mkilpatric@amerisourcebergen.com
Source: AmerisourceBergen Corporation