I've just started at klacid clarithromycin 500 mg side effects There remains ample opportunity to improve the operating margin over the longer term by achieving stronger sales growth and leveraging it against a relatively fixed expense base. Other expenses, net of $15 million in the quarter, were up slightly from last year and we continue to forecast other expenses at about $58 million for the full year. The effective tax rate was 34.2% in the second quarter, and we continue to estimate a 35% rate for the full year. Adding it all together, net earnings increased 16% in the second quarter and diluted EPS rose 15%, which was considerably better than our previous forecasted earnings equal to last year. Three months ago, we had reduced our sales growth expectation for the full year due to a disappointing performance in the Americas, as well as to factor in a weaker yen. At this point, we are maintaining a cautious sales outlook for the Americas until we see solid evidence of an upturn. Our assumptions call for full year worldwide sales to grow by a mid-single digit percentage in dollars and by a high-single digit in local currency. With local currency comp growth ranging from high-single digits in Asia-Pacific and Japan to low-single digits in the Americas.
|