EX-99.1 3 dex991.htm NEWS RELEASE News Release

Exhibit 99.1

 

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AmerisourceBergen Corporation

P.O. Box 959

Valley Forge, PA 19482

 

Contact:   Michael N. Kilpatric
  610-727-7118
  mkilpatric@amerisourcebergen.com

AMERISOURCEBERGEN INCREASES DIVIDEND 50 PERCENT

AND BOOSTS SHARE REPURCHASE AUTHORIZATION BY $500 MILLION

VALLEY FORGE, PA, November 8, 2007 – The Board of Directors of AmerisourceBergen Corporation (NYSE: ABC) today increased the Company’s quarterly dividend rate 50 percent to $0.075 per common share from $0.05 per common share. The Board of Directors also authorized a $500 million increase in its existing $850 million share repurchase program, which allows the Company to repurchase its outstanding shares of common stock subject to market conditions.

R. David Yost, AmerisourceBergen President & Chief Executive Officer, said, “Increasing our dividend and share repurchase program demonstrates continued confidence in our performance and our disciplined use of cash to deliver long-term value to our shareholders.”

As of November 7, 2007, the Company had approximately $89 million remaining under the original $850 million share repurchase program, which was authorized on May 24, 2007. With the $500 million increase, the Company now has approximately $589 million remaining under its existing share repurchase program. AmerisourceBergen currently has 167 million common shares outstanding.

The Company may repurchase the shares from time to time for cash in open market transactions or by other means in accordance with applicable federal securities laws, and will hold any repurchased shares as treasury shares, which will be available for general corporate purposes.

The quarterly dividend of $0.075 per common share will be payable December 3, 2007, to stockholders of record at the close of business on November 19, 2007.

About AmerisourceBergen

AmerisourceBergen is one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical services companies serving the United States, Canada and selected global markets. Servicing both pharmaceutical manufacturers and healthcare providers in the pharmaceutical supply channel, the Company provides drug distribution and related services designed to reduce costs and improve patient outcomes. AmerisourceBergen’s service solutions range from pharmacy automation and pharmaceutical packaging to reimbursement and pharmaceutical consulting


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services. With more than $66 billion in annual revenue, AmerisourceBergen is headquartered in Valley Forge, PA, and employs more than 11,500 people. AmerisourceBergen is ranked #29 on the Fortune 500 list. For more information, go to www.amerisourcebergen.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release may contain certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These statements are based on management’s current expectations and are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. Actual results may vary materially from the expectations contained in the forward-looking statements. The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in any forward-looking statements: competitive pressures; the loss of one or more key customer or supplier relationships; customer defaults or insolvencies; changes in customer mix; supplier defaults or insolvencies; changes in pharmaceutical manufacturers’ pricing and distribution policies or practices; adverse resolution of any contract or other disputes with customers (including departments and agencies of the U.S. Government) or suppliers; regulatory changes (including increased government regulation of the pharmaceutical supply channel); government enforcement initiatives (including (i) the imposition of increased obligations upon pharmaceutical distributors to detect and prevent suspicious orders of controlled substances (ii) the commencement of further administrative actions by the U. S. Drug Enforcement Administration seeking to suspend or revoke the license of any of the Company’s distribution facilities to distribute controlled substances, or (iii) the commencement of any enforcement actions by any U.S. Attorney alleging violation of laws and regulations regarding diversion of controlled substances and suspicious order monitoring); changes in U.S. government policies (including reimbursement changes arising from federal legislation, including the Medicare Modernization Act and the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005); changes in regulatory or clinical medical guidelines and/or reimbursement practices for the pharmaceuticals we distribute, including erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) used to treat anemia patients; price inflation in branded pharmaceuticals and price deflation in generics; the inability of the Company to successfully complete any transaction that the Company may wish to pursue from time to time; fluctuations in market interest rates; operational or control issues arising from the Company’s outsourcing of information technology activities; success of integration, restructuring or systems initiatives; fluctuations in the U.S. dollar—Canadian dollar exchange rate and other foreign exchange rates; economic, business, competitive and/or regulatory developments in Canada, the United Kingdom and elsewhere outside of the United States; acquisition of businesses that do not perform as we expect or that are difficult for us to integrate or control; changes in tax legislation or adverse resolution of challenges to our tax positions; and other economic, business, competitive, legal, tax, regulatory and/or operational factors affecting the business of the Company generally. Certain additional factors that management believes could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements are set forth (i) in Item 1A (Risk Factors) in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2006 and elsewhere in that report and (ii) in other reports filed by the Company pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

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