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AbbVie Trumps Q3 Earnings & Sales Estimates, Raises '24 EPS View

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AbbVie Inc. (ABBV - Free Report) reported adjusted earnings of $3.00 per share for the third quarter of 2024, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.92. The reported earnings also exceeded the company’s guidance of $2.88-$2.92 issued earlier this month. Earnings increased 1.7% year over year.

ABBV’s revenues of $14.46 billion also beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $14.28 billion. Sales rose 3.8% year over year on a reported basis and 4.9% on an operational basis.

Revenues in third quarter were driven by robust sales of key drugs, Rinvoq, Skyrizi, Venclexta and Vraylar, coupled with significant contributions from newer drugs Ubrelvy, Elahere, Epkinly and Qulipta. Sales of Humira and Imbruvica declined in the quarter.

All growth rates mentioned below are on a year-on-year basis and at constant exchange rates (CER).

Year to date, shares of AbbVie have rallied 22.3% compared with the industry’s rise of 17.6%.

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More on ABBV's Q3 Earnings

In immunology, net revenues from Rinvoq in the third quarter were $1.61 billion, up 47.4%. The upside can be attributed to label expansions of the drug to include new patient populations in recent quarters. Rinvoq sales beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate and our model estimate of $1.55 billion and $1.53 billion, respectively.

Net revenues recorded from Skyrizi were $3.21 billion, up 51.5%. This year-over-year surge in sales was due to label expansions of the drug to include new patient populations in recent quarters. Skyrizi sales beat both the Zacks Consensus Estimate as well as our model estimate of $2.96 billion.

Humira recorded a sales decline of 36.5% on an operational basis to $2.23 billion in the third quarter. Sales in the United States declined 41.6% to $1.77 billion, while ex-U.S. market sales were down 7.8% on an operating basis to $462 million. Humira sales missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.35 billion and our model estimate of $2.31 billion.

This substantial decline in Humira sales was due to the drug’s loss of exclusivity in the United States since last year. The drug lost its exclusivity in ex-U.S. territories following the launch of generics in 2018.

Sales from the neuroscience portfolio increased 16% to $2.36 billion, driven by higher sales of Botox Therapeutic, depression drug Vraylar, and migraine drugs Ubrelvy and Qulipta. Neuroscience sales beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate and our model estimate of $2.32 billion and $2.33 billion, respectively.

While Botox Therapeutic sales rose 14.4% to $848 million, sales of Vraylar increased 16.6% to $875 million. Sales of AbbVie’s oral migraine drug Ubrelvy were $269 million, up 15.3% year over year.

Recently launched Qulipta generated $176 million in product revenues compared with $150 million in second-quarter 2024.

AbbVie’s oncology/hematology sales rose 13% to $1.69 billion in the third quarter, as sales from the recently acquired ovarian cancer drug Elahere and rising Venclexta sales more than offset the declining Imbruvica sales. Oncology/hematology sales beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.58 billion and our model estimate of $1.57 billion.

Third-quarter net revenues from Imbruvica were $828 million, down 8.8%. However, sales of the drug beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $775 million and our model estimate of $763 million. ABBV markets this drug in partnership with Johnson & Johnson (JNJ - Free Report) .

U.S. sales of J&J-partnered Imbruvica declined 8.9% to $618 million due to rising competition from novel oral treatments. AbbVie shares international profits earned from Imbruvica with J&J. The company’s share of profit from the international sales of the drug declined 8.4% to $210 million.

AbbVie’s leukemia drug Venclexta generated revenues of $677 million in the reported quarter, reflecting 18.2% growth on an operational basis. AbbVie markets Venclexta in collaboration with Roche (RHHBY - Free Report) . Sales from the Roche-partnered drug beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate and our model estimate of $637 million and $627 million, respectively.

Elahere, added from this year’s acquisition of ImmunoGen, generated revenues of $139 million compared with $128 million reported in the second quarter of 2024. Sales of the drug fell short of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $140 million but beat our model estimate of $134 million.

Epkinly sales, which comprise AbbVie’s share of profit from U.S. revenues and product revenues from international markets, were $43 million in the quarter compared with $36 million in the previous quarter.

AbbVie’s aesthetics portfolio sales were up 1.8% to $1.24 billion. Botox Cosmetic sales rose 9.9% to $671 million, while Juvederm sales declined 16.9% to $258 million.

Eye care portfolio sales declined 11.2% to $525 million. Sales of Ozurdex, a key drug in the portfolio, rose 1.1% to $119 million.

ABBV's Cost Discussion

Adjusted SG&A expenses were almost flat at $3.33 billion, while adjusted R&D expenses were $2.06 billion in the third quarter, up 19.8% year over year.

ABBV's 2024 Guidance Raised

AbbVie raised its earnings per share guidance for 2024. The company expects adjusted EPS in the range of $10.90-$10.94, up from the previous guidance of $10.67-$10.87.

AbbVie Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

AbbVie Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

AbbVie Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | AbbVie Inc. Quote

ABBV's Zacks Rank

AbbVie currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.


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