Rite Aid Corp reported a narrower-than-expected quarterly loss and said its full-year loss might not be as deep as previously feared, helping send its shares higher in premarket trading.
The No. 3 U.S. drugstore chain now expects a net loss of 13 cents to 29 cents per share for fiscal 2013. Its prior forecast called for a loss of 13 cents to 31 cents per share.
Still, it trimmed its 2013 sales forecast to a range of $25.3 billion to $25.7 billion, from a prior estimate of $25.4 billion to $25.8 billion, as generic drug introductions are expected to crimp pharmacy sales.
For the first quarter the company reported a loss of $28.1 million, or 3 cents per share, compared with a loss of $63.1 million, or 7 cents per share, a year earlier.
Revenue rose 1.2 percent to $6.5 billion.
Analysts on average expected a loss of 4 cents per share on revenue of $6.42 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Rite Aid said it benefited from strong growth in same-store prescription sales in the quarter.
Rite Aid shares rose 5 cents to $1.22 in premarket trading.
