Earnings Preview: Eli Lilly Expected to Report a Solid Quarter

Eli Lilly (LLY), the pharmaceutical behind Prozac for depression and Cialis for erectile dysfunction, is expected to post solid fourth-quarter profits on Thursday after a recent restructuring. But the results will likely be lower than the year-ago quarter. Analysts expect earnings of 91 cents per share on $5.64 billion in sales. In the same quarter last year, the company lost $3.31, due to costs associated with its ImClone acquisition, on revenue of $5.21 billion. Excluding charges related to the acquisition, Lilly reported a profit of $1.07 per share in the year-ago quarter.