EARNINGS POLL-Zentiva 2006 net profit seen up 15 pct

    * Zentiva 2006 earnings 
    * March 5, 12 p.m. (1100 GMT) 
    * Net profit average forecast up 15 percent to 2.2 billion 
Czech crowns ($102.9 million) 
     
    By Jan Korselt 
    PRAGUE, March 2 (Reuters) - Czech drug maker Zentiva 
 is expected to post a 15 percent rise in 2006 net 
profit, helped by fast expansion in export markets, a Reuters 
poll showed on Friday. 
    Eleven analysts in the survey gave an average net profit 
forecast of 2.15 billion crowns ($100.5 million), up from 1.88 
billion crowns in 2005. 
    The results are due on Monday. 
    Zentiva, one of central Europe's biggest pharmaceutical 
firms and expanding throughout the region, has forecast net 
profit of 2.2 billion crowns. 
    France's Sanofi-Aventis  is the firm's largest 
shareholder with a 24.9 percent stake. 
    Revenue was expected to rise by nearly one-fifth to 14.04 
billion crowns, according to the poll, reflecting in part a 
boost from the acquisition of Romanian drugmaker Sicomed 
 in late 2005. 
    Analysts said good news on the company's performance could 
help persuade investors to buy the stock after a global sell-off 
sent the share price to a six-month low this week. 
    "We expect revenue growth to have accelerated in the fourth 
quarter thanks to improvements in the Czech and Slovak market, 
launch of new products and ongoing fast growth in export 
territories," said Lukas Dufek, an analyst at Komercni Banka. 
    Zentiva halted a profit slide it suffered early last year 
due to a sales recovery in its domestic market and robust growth 
in Romania, Poland and other export markets. 
    The stock has traded at 20 times forecast 2007 profits, 
according to Reuters Estimates, above 14 times for the DJ Stoxx 
health sector index , whose biggest constituent is 
Sanofi-Aventis. 
    Following is a breakdown of analysts' forecasts for 
Zentiva's 2006 results. 
 
 Figures in CZK bln     Average   Median    FY 2005     Range 
 SALES                  14.04     14.07     11.84    13.42-14.62 
 EBITDA                  4.12      4.12      3.24     3.99- 4.26 
 OPER.PROFIT (EBIT)      3.16      3.20      2.58     2.83- 3.29 
 NET PROFIT              2.15      2.18      1.88     1.94- 2.22 
 
    The following equity houses took part in the poll: Atlantik 
FT, BH Securities, Credit Suisse, Cyrrus, Deutsche Bank, Erste 
Bank, Komercni Banka, Merrill Lynch, KBC/Patria Finance, UBS and 
Wood & Company. 
    All 11 analysts provided forecasts for sales, EBIT and net 
profit, but only six of them gave EBITDA estimates. 
 
 ((Writing by Marek Petrus; Editing by Erica Billingham; 
 Reuters Messaging: rm://marek.petrus.reuters.com@reuters.net; 
 e-mail: prague.newsroom@reuters.com or 
 marek.petrus@reuters.com; 
 Tel: +420 224 190 477)) 
 
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  Keywords: ZENTIVA RESULTS