Financial News

GURGAON, India — First-quarter consolidated sales for generic drug maker Ranbaxy Labs totaled $736 million, the company reported last week.

The company said the quarter's sales marked a 55% increase over the year-ago period, when sales totaled $474 million. U.S. sales for the company totaled $416 million, up from $170 million in first quarter 2011. Ranbaxy attributed its sales boost to the launch of generic Lipitor (atorvastatin), as well as sales of generic Caduet (amlodipine and atorvastatin).

NEW YORK — Just days after Coty upped its proposal for Avon, the former has decided to withdraw its offer, citing Avon’s “delay and unwillingness to engage in discussions.”

LONDON — GlaxoSmithKline is moving forward with its acquisition of Human Genome Sciences.

The drug maker said Thursday that it has commenced its previously announced tender offer to acquire all of the outstanding shares of Human Genome Sciences for $13.00 per share in cash, a premium of 81% to HGS's closing share price of $7.17 per share on April 18, the last trading day before HGS publicly disclosed GSK's private offer.

GOODLETTSVILLE, Tenn. — Dollar General has awarded grants to more than 593 nonprofit organizations, libraries and schools through the chain's literacy foundation.

The Dollar General Literacy Foundation awarded grants to schools and organizations in communities across the 39 states served by Dollar General. The funding, valued at more than $6.4 million, supports such programs as adult literacy, GED preparation and English language acquisition. Dollar General said more than 410,300 people are expected to benefit from literacy services provided by the grants.

DOYLESTOWN, Pa. — The lackluster cough-cold season will necessitate a greater need for marketing and promotion next season, ProPhase Labs chairman and CEO Ted Karkus said on Thursday in announcing first-quarter results for the period ended March 31.

ISSAQUAH, Wash. — Costco announced that its board of directors declared a quarterly cash dividend on Costco common stock and approved an increase from 24 cents to 27.5 cents per share, or from 96 cents per share to $1.10 per share on an annualized basis.

The quarterly dividend is payable June 8 to shareholders of record at the close of business on May 25.

Costco plans to release its operating results for the third quarter, ended May 6, on May 24.

RESTON, Va. — ComScore reported that online retail spending reached $44.3 billion for first quarter 2012, up 17% from the year-ago period.

ComScore said retail e-commerce sale estimates represented the tenth consecutive quarter of positive year-over-year growth and sixth consecutive quarter of double-digit growth. Additional findings included:

• 48.8% of e-commerce transactions included free shipping, the highest percentage for a quarter on record outside of the holiday season;

PITTSBURGH — Mylan has increased its 2012 earnings per share guidance range, the generic drug maker said.

The company boosts its EPS guidance range to $2.45 to $2.55 in adjusted diluted earnings per share, up from $2.30 to $2.50 per share. All of Mylan's other 2012 guidance metrics remain unchanged.

In related news, Mylan also announced that its board of directors has approved the repurchase of up to $500 million of the company's common stock in the open market.