GENERAL HIGHLIGHTS
Meridian Bioscience, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio (NASDAQ: VIVO) today:
* reported first quarter net sales of $37.3 million, a decrease of 12%, from the same period of the prior fiscal year;
* reported first quarter operating income of $9.1 million, a decrease of 34%, from the same period of the prior fiscal year;
* reported first quarter earnings and diluted earnings per share of $6 million and $0.15, both decreases of 32% compared to the fiscal 2010 first quarter;
* declared the regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.19 per share for the first quarter of fiscal 2011, (indicated annual rate of $0.76 per share), the same as the regular quarterly rate of fiscal 2010; and
* reaffirmed its fiscal 2011 guidance of per share diluted earnings between $0.77 and $0.82 on net sales of $165 million to $170 million.
