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McKesson (MCK) to Report Q3 Earnings: What's in the Cards?

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McKesson Corporation (MCK - Free Report) is scheduled to report third-quarter fiscal 2024 results on Nov 1, after market close.

The company delivered an earnings surprise of 24.27% in the last reported quarter. Its earnings beat estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and missed the same once, delivering an average surprise of 8.10%.

Q3 Estimates

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for McKesson’s earnings is pegged at $7.05 per share, implying an improvement of 2.2% from the prior-year quarter’s reported figure. The same for revenues is pinned at $77.48 billion, indicating a surge of 9.9% year over year.

Factors to Note

McKesson’s fiscal third-quarter results are expected to reflect segmental strength.

The U.S. Pharmaceutical and Specialty Solutions segment is likely to have acted as a key growth driver in the soon-to-be-reported quarter. Our estimate for this segment’s revenues is pegged at $69.6 billion, indicating an improvement of 12.3% from the prior-year quarter’s level.

The aforementioned segment is expected to have benefited from market growth and higher volumes from retail national account customers. However, branded-to-generic conversions might have weighed on its performance. Continued demand for MCK’s broad spectrum of specialty biopharmaceutical products from healthcare systems is likely to have contributed to its performance. The availability of recently approved cancer drugs — Ojjaara, Truqap, Fruzaqla and Ogsiveo — through Biologics by McKesson might have brought additional growth during the fiscal third quarter.

In June, the company launched a curated private brand — Foster & Thrive — of over-the-counter (OTC) health and wellness products. MCK may provide an update on this OTC brand’s adoption during the third-quarter earnings call.

McKesson Corporation Price and EPS Surprise

McKesson Corporation Price and EPS Surprise

McKesson Corporation price-eps-surprise | McKesson Corporation Quote

McKesson’s collaboration with the U.S. government over COVID-19 vaccine distribution highlighted its role in the COVID-19 response. However, COVID-19 tests, kitting storage and distribution of ancillary supplies are likely to have declined during the quarter, hurting the Medical-Surgical Solutions segment’s performance.

However, continued growth in the Prescription Technology Solutions segment is expected to have benefited the company’s top line in the to-be-reported quarter. Growth in the technology services’ revenues and an increase in prescriptions from third-party logistics are likely to have driven segmental performance.

Our top-line estimate for the Medical-Surgical and Prescription Technology Solutions segments is pegged at $2.92 billion and $1.18 billion, respectively.

Meanwhile, interest expenses are likely to have followed multiple rate hikes over the past couple of years, hurting the bottom line. The stiff competition in the MedTech space is a strong headwind.

In August, McKesson expanded its partnership with the professional service firm, Genpact, to implement continued efficiency and automation capabilities in MCK’s finance operations, utilizing automation and AI solutions. This partnership should help McKesson reduce the cost of operations over the long term. The impact in the soon-to-be reported quarter remains to be seen.

What the Zacks Model Unveils

Our proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for McKesson this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the chances of an earnings beat. This is not the case here, as you will see below.

Earnings ESP: Earnings ESP, which represents the difference between the Most Accurate Estimate ($6.96 per share) and the Zacks Consensus Estimate, is -1.32% for McKesson. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they are reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

Zacks Rank: McKesson currently carries a Zacks Rank #2. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Stocks to Consider

Here are some medical stocks worth considering as these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this reporting cycle.

Dentsply Sirona (XRAY - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +6.43% and a Zacks Rank of 3 at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

The stock fell 5.2% in the past year. XRAY’s earnings beat estimates in the last reported quarter. It has a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 20.65%.

Merit Medical Systems (MMSI - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +3.68% and a Zacks Rank of 2 at present.

The stock has risen 15% in the past year. MMSI’s earnings beat estimates in the last reported quarter. It has a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 14.41%.

AMN Healthcare Services (AMN - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +3.42% and a Zacks Rank of 3 at present.

The stock fell 22.3% in the past year. AMN’s earnings beat estimates in the last reported quarter. It has a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 12.66%.

Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar.

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