UDG Healthcare : 1st Quarter Trading Update

UDG HEALTHCARE PLC

FIRST QUARTER TRADING UPDATE

Positive start to the financial year and full year guidance issued

29 January 2019: UDG Healthcare plc ('the Group'), a leading international provider of healthcare services,issues the following trading update covering the period from 1 October to 31 December 2018. The Group will hold its Annual General Meeting in Dublin at 12.00pm today.

First Quarter to 31 December 2018

Group

The Group has made a good start to the financial year with constant currency profit before tax for the quarter to 31 December 2018 well ahead of the same quarter last year, and in-line with the Group's previously communicated expectations.

This performance has been driven by good underlying growth supplemented by the impact of acquisitions completed in FY18.

Ashfield

Ashfield's operating profit was ahead of the same quarter last year. Communications and Advisory continues to perform well with operating profit ahead of the same quarter last year including the benefit of acquisitions completed in FY18. Commercial & Clinical has started the year as expected, with good momentum in the US underpinning the operating profit which is in line with the same quarter last year.

Sharp

Sharp's operating profit was significantly ahead of the same quarter last year. This reflects continued strong momentum in the US during the first quarter of this year, along with a weak comparative period in the first quarter of last year.

Group Outlook & Development

Based on the Group's good trading performance during the first quarter of the financial year, the Group expects constant currency adjusted diluted earnings per share (EPS)¹ for the year to 30 September 2019 to be between 4%-6% ahead of last year's EPS of US$ 45.9c².

The Group's strong balance sheet leaves it well placed to make further strategic acquisitions as those opportunities arise, complementing its continued underlying profit growth.

¹Before the amortisation of acquired intangible assets, transaction costs and exceptional items.

²The new revenue recognition standard (IFRS 15 'Revenue from Contracts with Customers') is effective for the Group from 1 October 2018. The Group adopted the new standard under the modified retrospective transition approach. Under this transition method, the new standard is applied from 1 October 2018 without restatement of comparative period amounts. The Group Outlook and Development are therefore presented under the previous revenue recognition accounting principles (including IAS 18 'Revenue'), on a consistent basis to the comparative period.

Date for Interim Results

The Group will issue its interim results for the six months to 31 March 2019 on Tuesday 21 May 2019.

Conference Call

UDG Healthcare plc will host a conference call for investors and analysts at 9.00am (GMT) today, Tuesday 29 January to discuss this statement. The dial-in details are as follows:

Standard International Access: [phone]

UK Toll Free: 0808 109 0700

Ireland: [phone]

Password: UDG Healthcare

A playback facility will be available for seven days on [phone]. The access code for the replay will be 8581787#.

Forward Looking Statements

Some statements in this announcement are or may be forward looking statements. They represent expectations for the Group's business, including statements that relate to the Group's future prospects, developments and strategies, and involve risks and uncertainties both general and specific. The Group has based these forward-looking statements on assumptions regarding present and future strategies of the Group and the environment in which it will operate in the future. However, because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors including but not limited to general economic, political, financial and business factors, which in some cases are beyond the Group's control, actual results, performance, operations or achievements expressed or implied by such forward looking statements may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and accordingly you should not rely on these forward looking statements in making investment decisions. Except as required by applicable law or regulation, neither the Group nor any other party intends to update or revise these forward-looking statements after the date these statements are published, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

For reference:

Investors and Analysts: Keith Byrne Head of Investor Relations, Strategy & Corporate Communications UDG Healthcare plc Tel: + 353-1-468-9000
Business / Financial media: Lisa Kavanagh / Jack Hickey Powerscourt Tel: + 44-207-250-1446

About UDG Healthcare plc:

UDG Healthcare plc (LON: UDG) is a leading international partner of choice delivering advisory, communication, commercial, clinical and packaging services to the healthcare industry, employing over 8,500 people with operations in 26 countries and delivering services in over 50 countries.

UDG Healthcare plc operates across two divisions: Ashfield and Sharp.

Ashfield is a global leader in advisory, communication, commercial and clinical services for the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries. It focuses on supporting healthcare professionals and patients at all stages of the product life cycle. The division provides field and contact centre sales teams, healthcare communications, patient support, audit, advisory, medical information and event management services to over 300 healthcare companies.

Sharp is a global leader in contract commercial packaging and clinical trial packaging services for the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries, operating from state-of the-art facilities in the US and Europe.

The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250. For more information, please go to: www.udghealthcare.com