Express Scripts reports surprise sales dip, soft profit outlook

Express Scripts on Tuesday reported a surprise decline in revenue for its fourth quarter, and also offered a soft earnings outlook for the current quarter. For the period ended December 31, Express Scripts said the number of adjusted claims increased 1.3% to 341.5 million. The company had expected adjusted claims between 333 million and 353 million. Overall, the company reported a profit of $773.5 million, up from $581.8 million a year earlier.