Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Biotech / Medical : Merck -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Anthony Wong who wrote (1080)	12/9/1998 4:08:00 PM
From: Anthony Wong	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1580

Merck CEO Sees '98 EPS at $4.27 to $4.34, '99 at $4.85 to $4.95 Bloomberg News December 9, 1998, 3:39 p.m. ET Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, Dec. 9 (Bloomberg) -- Merck & Co., the world's biggest drugmaker, said it could have per- share profit of $4.27 to $4.34 in 1998 and $4.85 to $4.95 in 1999. Merck Chairman and Chief Executive Raymond Gilmartin made this comment at the company's annual meeting at its headquarters in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey. Merck had been expected to earn $4.30 a share in 1998 and $4.97 a share in 1999, the average estimates of analysts polled by First Call Corp. --Kerry Dooley in Whitehouse Station through the Washington

To: Anthony Wong who wrote (1080)	12/9/1998 4:10:00 PM
From: Anthony Wong	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 1580

Astra to Pay Merck $1.69 Bln as It Plans Takeover by Zeneca Bloomberg News December 9, 1998, 3:23 a.m. ET Astra to Pay Merck $1.69 Bln as It Plans Takeover by Zeneca Stockholm, Dec. 9 (Bloomberg) -- Astra AB, Sweden's No. 1 drug company, said it will pay Merck & Co. at least $1.69 billion, freeing itself from some obligations it had in conjunction with dismantling their joint U.S. sales venture, as Astra plans to combine with Zeneca Group Plc. Astra will pay Merck, the world's biggest drug company, an initial fee of $740 million because it's teaming up with a rival. In addition, it will pay $950 million to remove the first rights Merck would hold to all products except antiulcer drug Losec, the world's biggest selling prescription drug, in the U.S. Today, Zeneca, the U.K.'s third-biggest drugmaker, agreed to buy Sweden's Astra in a stock swap valued at $34.6 billion. Astra in June removed an obstacle to any merger with another company by taking full control of its Astra Merck joint venture with Merck, which sells Astra drugs in the U.S. Astra could pay Merck more in the future as it has an option to buy out Merck's rights to royalties on Losec sales in the U.S. Sold in the U.S. as Prilosec, the drug accounts for more than half of Astra's revenue. --Jenny Penser in the Stockholm bureau (46 8) 610 07 00/ph More News: MRK