Specialty Medicines drive strong sales as company maintains guidance and raises dividend
GSK PLC (LSE:GSK, NYSE:GSK) reported a 7% rise in sales for 2025 to £32.7 billion, led by strong performance in Specialty Medicines, which grew 17% to £13.5 billion.
Sales in HIV, Oncology and Respiratory, Immunology & Inflammation divisions all posted double-digit gains.
Vaccines brought in £9.2 billion, with meningitis and shingles vaccines both growing, while General Medicines declined 1% to £10 billion.
Total operating profit more than doubled to £7.9 billion, helped by reduced legal and intangible costs, and total earnings per share also more than doubled to 141.1p. Core operating profit rose 11%, and core earnings per share were up 12% to 172p.
Despite earnings coming in slightly below consensus, shares rose 1% in early trading to 1,963.5p. The results follow an announcement that 350 research and development roles will be cut.
The company declared a fourth-quarter dividend of 18p, taking the full-year payout to 66p, with 70p targeted for 2026. GSK has executed £1.4 billion of its £2 billion share buyback programme to date.
Guidance for 2026 remains unchanged, with revenue expected to grow 3–5% and core profit and earnings forecast to rise 7–9%.
The company also reaffirmed its 2031 sales outlook of over £40 billion.