UK Pharma Firms Halt Slide In Profitability

Profitability among companies in the UK pharmaceutical sector rose to 23.0% in the second quarter 1996 up from 21.8%, following four consecutive quarters when it had fallen sharply from over 28%, according to the CCN Group's latest Corporate Health Check of the UK's largest companies. Overall, UK corporate profitability has remained at around 11.5% for the last five quarters, at a time in which manufacturing output has declined sharply.

The basic CCN survey, which covers all industry sectors, analyzes the results of the top 1,000 companies in the UK, and as far as the drug sector is concerned, the sample is of 20 firms, be they UK-owned or foreign-owned, so long as, overall, they qualify within the top-1,000 status.

Robust Part Of UK Economy In the UK, the pharmaceutical sector has been a robust part of the UK economy for many years, and the latest financial figures indicate that its position at the top of the performance league table is likely to remain secure for the foreseeable future, as the industry consolidates.