Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. (BMY - Analyst Report) recently declared a quarterly dividend of 31 cents per share, noting that it is payable on May 1 to stockholders of record at the close of business on April 3. BMY boasts an industry-leading yield of 6%.

Company Description

Bristol-Myers Squibb is a major producer and distributor of pharmaceuticals and other healthcare related products. The Pharmaceutical segment manufactures and sells branded pharmaceutical drugs such as Pravachol for cholesterol reduction, Plavix for hypertension and Erbitux for cancer.

Bristol Myers generates more than 55% of its revenue from the domestic market, and the balance from the international market primarily Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

Outstanding Income

The company recently declared a quarterly dividend of 31 cents per share, noting that it is payable on May 1 to stockholders of record at the close of business on April 3. BMY boasts an industry-leading yield of 6%.

Growth in the Fourth Quarter

The company recently announced fourth-quarter net sales from continuing operations of $5.2 billion, an increase of 4%, or 8% excluding foreign exchange impact, on a year-over-year basis.

Earnings per share also surpassed the year-ago level, coming in 12% above analysts’ expectations. BMY topped Wall Street estimates by an average of 8% over the past 4 consecutive quarters.

“In the quarter, and in the past year, we’ve taken decisive action as a BioPharma leader to become leaner and more agile,” said James M. Cornelius, chairman and chief executive officer. “I’m particularly pleased by our global commercial teams in presenting our value proposition to customers and payers. We’ve executed with speed and rigor against our strategy. Results this quarter continued to be strong, capping off an outstanding year.

Bristol-Myers issued a 2009 earnings guidance of $1.85 to $2.00 per share on a non-GAAP basis. Analysts are forecasting $1.94, which translates into 11% annual growth. For 2010, Wall Street projects earnings per share growth of 16%.

The company boasts a solid record of exceeding analysts’ earnings expectations, missing the consensus estimate only twice in more than 4 years.

Bristol-Myers’ return on equity (ROE) of 30% crushes the industry average of 16%.