CVS Caremark Corp.’s fourth-quarter earnings climbed nearly 4 percent as the drugstore operator’s pharmacy services revenue swelled because of a long-term contract and new business, The Associated Press reports.
The Woonsocket, R.I., company with stores throughout Connecticut also said Wednesday that it raised its 2012 earnings forecast by 3 cents per share to account for gains it expects because of a contract dispute between competitors Walgreen Co. and Express Scripts Inc.
Company shares climbed 47 cents to $43.55 in pre-market training.
CVS Caremark’s net income rose to $1.06 billion, or 82 cents per share, in the three months that ended Dec. 31. That compares with $1.03 billion, or 75 cents per share, in the final quarter of 2010.
Adjusted earnings were 89 cents per share, in line with the average analyst forecast, according to FactSet.
Revenue rose 15 percent to $28.32 billion, above the $28.09 billion analysts expected.
CVS Caremark runs the second-largest chain of drugstores in the U.S., after Walgreen. Its Caremark business is one of the largest pharmacy benefits managers. Those businesses handle prescription drug benefits and are paid to reduce costs for health plan sponsors and members.
