Aspen profit up, Asia unit robust

Africa's biggest generic drugs maker, Aspen Pharmacare, reported a 17% increase in half-year profit boosted by costs cuts and higher sales.

• Aspen finalises GSK deal for £164m
• Aspen: Earning to between rise 18%-24%
• Aspen buys GSK Aussie drugs for R2.2bn
• Aspen unit to buy drug portfolio from GSK
• Aspen prepared to help bridge ARV shortages
• Aspen boosts profit, Asian unit robust

Govt awards R6bn HIV drugs contract

The government has awarded a R5.9bn contract to supply life-prolonging HIV medicine to 12 international and domestic firms.

• Aspen buys GSK Aussie drugs for R2.2bn
• Drug firms win R2.5bn tender
• Aspen prepared to help bridge ARV shortages

Aspen: Earning to between rise 18%-24%

Aspen Pharmacare says that it expected its diluted normalised headline earnings per share from continuing operations to rise between 18% and 24% in the year ended June.

• Aspen buys GSK Aussie drugs for R2.2bn
• Drug firms win R2.5bn tender
• Aspen unit to buy drug portfolio from GSK

Aspen buys GSK brands

GlaxoSmithKline has sold several over-the-counter drugs to Aspen Pharmacare.

• Aspen lifts H1 profit, Asia unit flies
• Aspen expects higher earnings
• Indian drug firms thrive in SA
• Aspen pushes its earnings higher
• Aspen seals Sigma deal
• Aspen reaps reward of expansion plan

Aspen expects higher earnings

Pharmaceuticals manufacturer Aspen has projected earnings to be up to 22% higher for the year.

• Aspen pushes its earnings higher
• Aspen seals Sigma deal
• Aspen acquisition of Sigma on track
• Australia concerned over Aspen's Sigma bid
• Indian drug firms thrive in SA
• Adcock plunges on tender setback

Indian drug firms thrive in SA

India's pharmaceutical industry has cornered a large share of the SA market and is using the country as a base to gush drugs into Africa.

• More India ties may be Cipla Medpro remedy
• Aspen seals Sigma deal
• ARV tender boost for pharmaceuticals

Aspen seals Sigma deal

Pharmaceuticals giant Aspen Pharmacare says all conditions for its acquisition of the Australian firm have been met.

• Aspen confident on Australian conquest
• Aspen ups profit
• Aspen acquisition of Sigma on track
• Australia concerned over Aspen's Sigma bid
• SA drives Aspen growth
• Aspen seeks Africa, LatAm deals

Losing firm to press for tender breakdown

Pharmaceutical firm Adcock Ingram says it is ‘seriously concerned’ about the way the tender for ARV drugs was allocated.

• ARV tender boost for pharmaceuticals
• Adcock plunges on tender setback
• Adcock wins portion of ARV tender

Netcare's fine the correct remedy

Private hospital group Netcare's share price appears not to have been affected by its guilty plea and R7.8m fine for illegal kidney transplants, writes Shaun Harris.

• Doctors in court over transplants
• Netcare fined for illicit transplants
• Netcare kidney transplant fine shock
• Netcare board backs CEO
• Netcare profit up 26%
• Netcare a picture of health

Australia concerned over Aspen's Sigma bid

Australia's competition watchdog has postponed a decision on Aspen's A$900m bid for Sigma Pharmaceuticals' generic drugs division, saying it could reduce competition.

• SA ops to boost Aspen
• Aspen confident on Australian conquest
• Aspen must tread carefully Down Under
• Aspen agrees to new Australian deal
• Aspen urged to seal Sigma deal
• Sigma presses Aspen to up offer

Aspen earnings seen up 20-25%

Aspen Pharmacare expects headline earnings per share for the 12 months ended 30 June to exceed those reported in the comparative period by 20% to 25%.

• Aspen must tread carefully Down Under
• Aspen agrees to new Australian deal
• Sigma presses Aspen to up offer
• Aspen bid 'less than generous'
• Price qualms may sink Aspen deal
• Aspen urged to seal Sigma deal

JSE edges up on MTN, Aspen

The JSE has opened broadly firmer on the back of upbeat corporate news from MTN and Aspen Pharmacare and amid some bargain hunting.

• JSE boosted by US, German data
• JSE reverses gains as Dow falls
• JSE turns higher, tracking Asia
• JSE edges higher amid bargain-hunting
• JSE tracks Dow futures lower
• JSE follows world markets lower

Sigma presses Aspen to up offer

Embattled Australian drug maker Sigma Pharmaceuticals wants Aspen Pharmacare to up its R4.2bn bid, but has declined to extend Aspen's exclusive negotiations.

• Aspen bid 'less than generous'
• Price qualms may sink Aspen deal
• Aspen urged to seal Sigma deal

Assessing a company’s future potential

The Sustainable Growth table offers it a most intriguing set of rankings to mull.

• The Sustainable Growth Rate Table
• Vukile cautious on growth
• Growth outlook slows
• SA to maintain positive growth path
• Smart sustainability
• Sustainability set for take-off

Pharmaceuticals

• Cipla lifts profit, adds new drugs
• 'Cipla didn't need Adcock'
• Adcock: Life after Cipla
• Adcock shelves Cipla bid
• Adcock bid 'threatens Cipla'
• Cipla hits back at Adcock

The critical 'one'

The return on Equity/Cost of Equity : This year’s table ranks 150 listed companies as creating shareholder value in 2009.

• The RoE/Ke Table
• Ratios: the investor's friend
• Equity values lift Mvela
• Exxaro urges BEE equity changes
• New chair for Equity Commission
• Higher profits for private equity