Financial News

NEW YORK — AmerisourceBergen, AbbVie and Cardinal Health earned perfect scores in the Barron’s 500 list, an exclusive ranking of the 500 largest publicly traded companies, measured by reported in sales in the latest fiscal year and whose primary stock is listed in the United States or Canada. AmerisourceBergen, AbbVie and both earned perfect “grade point averages” of 4.0, based their stocks’ return on investment and sales growth.

Artificial eyelashes are an important accessory for many celebrities. Among those accenting their eyes with a little help from lashes is Naomi Watts. According to her makeup artist Mary Wiles, Watts has worn Ardell Double Flare Lashes.

Celebrities aren’t alone when it comes to donning fakes. Sales of artificial eyelashes packaged with adhesives rose 31% to $157 million, according to IRI data for multi-outlet retailers for the 52-week period ended March 19. Eyelash adhesives kicked in another $30 million and showed growth of 24%.

ST. LOUIS — Express Scripts on Wednesday announced it had acquired myMatrixx, a pharmacy benefit solutions provider for the workers' compensation industry. The companies will merge core capabilities to deliver “best-in-class” clinical expertise, advanced analytics, and customized client experiences to serve workers' compensation clients and injured patients.

MINNEAPOLIS — Target’s 2017 fiscal first-quarter comparable-store sales suffered a 1.3% year-over-year decrease, driven by small declines in both traffic and basket size. First quarter sales for the period ended April 29 also dipped slightly from $16.2 billion to $16 billion.

Adjusted earnings per share also slipped by 6.3% versus the prior year to $1.21 per share, but this far surpassed company guidance, which had been between 80 cents and $1 per share.

Mass market doors might not be the prime destination for all beauty products, but there are market wedges the channel dominates. An example is color cosmetics, where brows and lashes are leading the charge to attract shoppers. Bath sales are also bubbling again as drug stores wrest customers away from mall-based specialty stores, while also nabbing licensed hits that score big with parents. IRI tracked double-digit increases in the category over the past year.

PLAIN TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Discount Drug Mart will take over a long-vacant anchor space here at a former Giant Eagle location at The Shoppes of Oakwood Square, something that may give a big boost to the shopping center, reported Columbus Parent. DDM signed a 15-year lease to occupy about 30,000 sq.-ft. of space, the news outlet added.

SUNBURY, Pa. — Weis Markets earlier this week reported a sales increase of 15.4% to $852.2 million in the first quarter. Comparable store sales, adjusting for the New Year's and Easter holiday shift in 2017, increased 1.1%, the company reported, representing the grocer's 12th consecutive quarter of increased comparable store sales.

During the 13-week period ended April 1, net income declined 41.2% to $11.8 million while earnings per share totaled $0.44 compared to $0.75 in 2016.