Grupo Casa Saba Announces 3Q09 Earni...( MEXICO CITY Oct. 28 /- Grupo ...),Health

MEXICO CITY, Oct. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Grupo Casa Saba (NYSE: SAB) ("Saba", "GCS", "the Company" or "the Group"), one of the leading Mexican distributors of pharmaceutical products, health and beauty aids, personal care and consumer goods, general merchandise, publications and other products, announces its consolidated financial and operating results for the third quarter of 2009.

Financial Highlights:

(All figures are expressed in millions of Mexican pesos of purchasing power as of September 2009. Comparisons are made with the same period of 2008, unless otherwise stated. Figures may vary due to rounding practices).

    - Sales for the quarter grew 4.90% to reach $7,009.53 million
    - Gross income increased 2.43%
    - The gross margin for the quarter was 10.87%
    - Quarterly operating expenses as a percentage of sales were 7.87%,
      slightly higher than
      the margin of 7.75% registered during the third quarter of 2008
    - Operating income decreased 6.93% versus 3Q08
    - The operating margin for the quarter was 3.00%
    - The CCF for the quarter declined 22.15%
    - Tax provisions were 61.14% lower than in 3Q08
    - Net profit for the quarter was $155.38 million, an increase of 39.03%
    - Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the quarter was $161.17 million

    QUARTERLY EARNINGS

NET SALES

During the third quarter of 2009, GCS's sales were $7,009.53 million, an increase of 4.90%.

SALES BY DIVISION

Private Pharma

Sales in our Private Pharma division rose 6.19% during the third quarter of 2009. This growth was primarily driven by our Mexican pharmaceutical distribution business.

Sales for this division reached $5,951.63 million versus $5,604.89 million in 3Q08 and repres
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