By Helena Smolak

GSK is scheduled to report results for the first quarter on Wednesday. Here is what to know.

SALES FORECAST: The British pharmaceutical giant is expected to report sales for the period of 7.42 billion pounds ($9.88 billion), up from 7.36 billion pounds for the comparable period a year earlier, according to a company-compiled consensus.

NET PROFIT FORECAST: Net profit is expected to rise to 1.67 billion pounds from 1.05 billion pounds, according to a consensus provided by the company.

London-listed shares in GSK are up 4.1% since the start of the year.

WHAT TO WATCH

--Uncertainty over President Trump's import tariffs on pharmaceuticals represent an overhang for the whole sector, UBS and Morgan Stanley analysts said. On top of these sectorwide issues, GSK is overexposed to vaccines relative to European peers, a sub sector that the U.S. administration is skeptical about, UBS analysts said in a note. "The resignation of Peter Marks, Director of Biologics Evaluation and Research at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, over a reported disagreement on vaccines with head of the Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. reinforces investor concerns around a more challenging landscape for vaccines makers moving forward," Morgan Stanley analysts said.

-- Investors' key focus this quarter will be the poor U.S. performance of two of GSK's key vaccines--Arexvy for respiratory syncytial virus and Shingrix for shingles--according to UBS. Industry watchers will look out for commentary on what level of recovery is required later in the year to achieve the 2025 target of an overall low single-digit sales decrease for vaccines, at constant currency, they said. Morgan Stanley analysts expect GSK's challenges in vaccine sales in the quarter to be offset by strong momentum across its specialty medicines business.

--OUTLOOK: The company will likely reiterate its full-year guidance with sales and earnings growth second-half weighted, Morgan Stanley analysts said in a note.

Write to Helena Smolak at helena.smolak@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

April 28, 2025 09:23 ET (13:23 GMT)

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