Denmark's Novo Nordisk A/S said fourth-quarter 2017 EPS fell 3% year over year, while net sales also decreased.
Fourth-quarter net profit came to 8.25 billion Danish kroner, or 3.36 kroner per share, compared to 8.7 billion kroner, or 3.46 kroner per share, down 3% on a per-share basis from the year-ago period.
The S&P Capital IQ consensus normalized EPS estimate for the fourth quarter was 3.52 kroner.
Net sales for the quarter totaled 27.99 billion kroner, down 5% from about 29.57 billion in the year-ago period. Operating profit for the quarter fell by 10% to 10.04 billion kroner, from 11.21 billion kroner in the year-ago period.
Full-year 2017 EPS rose 3% to 15.39 kroner, compared to 14.96 kroner in the prior year.
The S&P Capital IQ consensus normalized EPS estimate for full year 2017 was 15.48 kroner.
Full-year 2017 net sales were about 111.7 billion kroner, unchanged compared to the prior year, and operating profit rose by 1% to 49.0 billion kroner.
For 2018, the pharmaceuticals giant expects operating profit to grow 1% to 5%, and sales to grow 2% to 5%.
The company said in the earnings release that Chairman Göran Ando and CFO Jesper Brandgaard are stepping down.
As of Jan. 31, US$1 was equivalent to 5.98 Danish kroner.
