By Helena Smolak

AstraZeneca is scheduled to report results for the first quarter on Tuesday. Here is what you need to know.

CORE EARNINGS PER SHARE: Core earnings per share--one of the British pharmaceutical major's preferred metrics--are expected to rise to $2.27 from $2.06 the year before, according to a company-compiled consensus based on 14 analysts' estimates.

SALES: The London-listed group's sales are forecast at $13.80 billion, according to the company-compiled consensus. This compares with $12.68 billion for the same period the year before.

Shares in European afternoon trading were down 0.1% at 10,432 pence, and have fallen 1.9% over the year to date.

WHAT TO WATCH:

--KEY DRUGS: AstraZeneca should post a solid quarter led by oncology, with higher demand for lung cancer drug Tagrisso, lung and bladder treatment Imfinzi and blood cancer drug Calquence, UBS analysts said in a note. Its autoimmune disease drug Ultomiris should offset the expected slowdown in chronic blood disease drug Soliris due to gradual generic competition, according to UBS.

--CHINA: Any comments on operations in China will be closely watched. AstraZeneca remains positive on the progress an anti-corruption investigation into some of its employees in the country, Barclays said in a note. In addition, the company recently outlined a $2.5 billion investment in an R&D centre in Beijing, while Chief Executive Pascal Soriot joined a summit with President Xi Jinping--reflecting the commitment of the company to the region, Barclays added.

--OUTLOOK: The company will likely reiterate its full-year guidance, Morgan Stanley analysts said in a note.

--TARIFFS: UBS analysts expect to hear very little from AstraZeneca on tariffs until details from President Trump's policy changes targeting pharma are released. The company operates dual manufacturing locations for all key products and may retain its patent intellectual property in lower tax jurisdictions, they said.

Write to Helena Smolak at helena.smolak@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

April 25, 2025 07:58 ET (11:58 GMT)

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