Benzinga | Aug 5, 2021 06:05AM EDT

BD Raises FY21 Adj. EPS Guidance From $12.75-$12.85 To $12.85-$12.95 vs $12.83 Est.

Assumptions and Outlook for Full Year Fiscal 2021

BD has updated its outlook for fiscal 2021 which reflects numerous assumptions about many factors that could affect its business based on the information management has reviewed as of this date, which includes observations and assumptions regarding the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The company's outlook continues to assume no major system-wide hospital restrictions on elective procedures related to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, in recent weeks the company started to see some impact on elective procedures from the COVID-19 delta variant in some states in the U.S. and assumes some continuation of this in its outlook. Management will discuss its outlook and several of its assumptions on its third fiscal quarter earnings call.

The company now expects fiscal year 2021 revenues to grow approximately 16.5% to 17.0% on a reported basis, an increase from the prior guidance of 12% to 14%. Foreign currency is now expected to contribute approximately 250 to 300 basis points to revenue growth, compared to 200 basis points previously. BD now expects fiscal year 2021 currency-neutral revenue growth of about 14.0% versus its prior guidance of 10% to 12%.

The company now expects fiscal year 2021 adjusted diluted EPS to be between $12.85 and $12.95, an increase from the prior guidance of between $12.75 and $12.85. The current adjusted EPS guidance range represents growth of approximately 26% to 27% over fiscal 2020 adjusted diluted EPS of $10.20. The company now expects the impact to adjusted EPS from foreign currency to be negligible, compared to a contribution of approximately 100 basis points previously. The company previously expected adjusted EPS growth of 25% to 26%, or 24% to 25% on a currency-neutral basis.

"We were very pleased to be able to raise our full year 2021 adjusted diluted EPS guidance," said Christopher Reidy, BD's EVP, chief financial officer and chief administrative officer. "The positive momentum of our base business, combined with a lower tax rate, allows us to continue to reinvest while overcoming lower COVID-19 testing profit contribution."

Adjusted diluted EPS for fiscal 2021 excludes potential charges or gains that may be recorded during the fiscal year, such as, among other things, the non-cash amortization of intangible assets, acquisition-related charges, spin-off related charges, and certain tax matters. BD does not attempt to provide reconciliations of forward-looking non-GAAP EPS guidance to the comparable GAAP measure because the impact and timing of these potential charges or gains is inherently uncertain and difficult to predict and is unavailable without unreasonable efforts. In addition, the company believes such reconciliations would imply a degree of precision and certainty that could be confusing to investors. Such items could have a substantial impact on GAAP measures of BD's financial performance.