Will We Learn Anything Early Tomorrow, From JNJ -- On The Arbitration?

I'll liveblog any forward-looking statements about the next-steps, timing or outcome of now-concluded Remicade^®/Simponi^® arbitration.



UPDATED:

▲ 8:41 AM EDT -- J&J just confirmed that oral arguments will occur in December 2010, and a decision "possible" in the first half of 2011. In short, there is nothing new.

Here is what First Call and Schaeffer's respectively expect, first thing (8:30 AM EDT), tomorrow -- per SeekingAlpha:

. . . .Analysts are looking for EPS of $1.15 on revenue of $15.18 billion. The consensus range is $1.10-$1.19 for EPS, and $14.85 billion to $15.4 billion for revenue, according to First Call. Possible positive catalysts may come from J&J's DePuy orthopedics business and its diagnostics line as well as increased penetration in emerging markets. The company's cost restructuring should also contibute to the bottom line this quarter. Possible negative catalysts for this quarter may have come from J&J's manufacturing issues in the consumer division. Generic erosion in some of J&J's older drugs like Topamax and Risperdal will most likely erode gains in its more profitable drug lines. . . .

[Schaeffers:] J&J has been a slow and steady performer on the earnings front, besting the consensus estimate in three of the prior four reporting periods, and matching in the most recent. The company has logged an average upside surprise of just 4.3% during this time frame. Call buying has spiked on the ISE and CBOE ahead of the event, with calls purchased more than doubling puts purchased in the prior two weeks. What's more, analysts are extremely bullish on J&J, with Zacks reporting that 14 of the 28 brokerage firms following the shares rating them a "buy" or better, with no "sell" ratings to be found. . . .

Do check here, tomorrow, first thing.