JNJ Sales Lower than Analyst Expectations; Decreases 2012 Outlook

Johnson and Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) reported Q2 earnings this morning that were largely in-line with forecasts, although global sales fell short of expectations slightly at $16.48B. Domestic sales fell 1.2% from Q2 2011, and international sales decreased by 0.4%. The company adjusted full-year earnings guidance this morning to $5.00 – $5.07 per share to reflect some of these shortfalls, down from $5.17 earlier in the year. Significant negative impact on domestic sales came from generic alternatives to JNJ’s Levaquin (levofloxacin) which lost patent protection in June of 2011, and third-party supply issues with cancer treatment Doxil/Caelyx that postponed even clinical trials late last year. Launched last year, prostate-treatment Zytiga continued to create positive sales numbers for JNJ, along with Procrit and Remicade. Analysts are looking for more details on the Synthes acquisition, which contributed slightly to operational growth for the quarter and should strengthen the company’s orthopedic offerings and international exposure. Sales are down a percentage point in premarket trading but should hold through the day.