Novartis gave its first financial forecast, post the spin-out of Sandoz, with the release of third quarter earnings on 24 October. The quarterly figures showed a 12% increase in net sales to $11.78 billion from a year earlier, and a large rise in spending on research and development. The Switzerland-based company is forecasting an increase in net sales for the year of a high single digit figure and an increase in non IFRS operating income of a mid to high teens figure.
