First quarter revenues for the IBO Lab Equipment/Consumables Index grew 0.9%, 1.8% excluding currency, to $4,125 million. Adjusted operating profit declined 1.7% to $730 million. Based on continuing operations, operating margin for the Index contracted 70 basis points to 18.3% of sales.

Kewaunee Scientific fiscal fourth quarter sales ending April 30 grew 9.7% to $31.8 million. Domestic sales improved 26.3% to make up 78% of sales due to weak year-over-year comparison. Conversely, International sales fell 25.0% to make up 22% as a result of the timing of backlog orders in the previous year. Operating profit contracted 29.9% to $2.0 million, and gross margin fell 204 basis points to 21.3% of sales due to large completed orders a year ago.

Kewaunee Scientific’s fiscal year-end revenues climbed 13.9% to $117.1 million. Order backlog declined 7.0% to $80.2 million due to a large international order shipped during the year. Domestic sales improved 11.4% to account for 80% of revenues due to strong demand for mid-sized projects from the private sector. Demand for publicly funded educational products was weak. International sales expanded 25.0% to make up 20% of sales, as the company completed and shipped several backorders. Full-year operating income soared 94.5% to $5.3 million due to increased domestic sales and lower operating expenses as a percentage of sales. Gross profit improved 37 basis points to 19.0% of sales due to lower manufacturing costs.

Fiscal third quarter sales ending April 30 for Pall BioPharmaceuticals (BP) grew 8.9%, 10.6% organically, to $219.6 million to account for 34% of company sales. The acquisition of ForteBio (see IBO 12/31/11) added roughly 0.5% to revenue growth, while currency lowered sales growth by 2.2%. Excluding currency, Pharmaceuticals revenue improved 8.0% to make up roughly 88% of BP sales. Consumables sales increased 12.3%, led by demand from biotechnology customers and weak sales in the previous year because of supply chain disruptions. Systems revenue fell 33.4% due to lower US sales and nonrecurring orders for chromatography hardware from several pharmaceutical customers. Following a sharp decline in the previous year, sales for the Laboratory submarket climbed 36.5% to make up roughly 12% of BP sales.

First quarter sales for Sartorius’s Lab Products & Services (LPS) segment improved 3.4%, or 4.8% excluding currency, to €68.7 million ($89.3 million = €0.77 = $1) to account for 32% of company sales. While sales of all products increased, demand for liquid handling products was particularly strong. Orders declined 9.0% excluding currency to €63.6 million ($82.6 million) due to discontinued non-core products and weaker demand. Excluding currency, sales to Europe, North America and Asia/Pacific grew 9.1%, 3.1% and 1.2% to account for 54%, 15% and 26% of segment sales, respectively. Sales to Other Markets fell 12.0% in local currency to make up 5%. LPS adjusted EBITA increased 10.3% to €9.2 million ($11.9 million). Full-year LPS sales are projected to grow 3%–6% on a currency-neutral basis.

Based on its realigned segments (see IBO 12/31/12), first quarter sales for Sigma-Aldrich’s Research business declined 3.0%, 1.3% excluding currency, to account for 53% of company revenues. Research sales were negatively impacted by lower government and academic spending in the US and Europe. Organic pharmaceutical sales were flat. However, organic sales through the dealer network grew in the low single digits, as the company expanded its network in emerging markets. The Applied business grew 3.9%, 2.6% organically, to make up 24% of revenues. Acquisitions added 2.0% to sales growth, while currency reduced revenue growth by 0.7%. Organic growth was driven by sales of components for diagnostic kits and raw materials to clinical customers. For 2013, total company sales are projected to grow in the low to mid-single digits organically.

Fiscal third quarter revenues ending March 31 for Techne’s Biotechnology segment declined 3.7%, 3.5% organically, to $75.3 million to account for 93% of sales. Within the US, Biotechnology revenues to academic customers, and industrial, pharmaceutical and biotechnology markets fell 8.5% and 2.5%, respectively. US sales accounted for roughly 55% of segment revenue. European sales fell 10.3% excluding currency to make up 28%. Currency-neutral sales to China and Pacific Rim distributors grew 24.9% and 9.6% to represent roughly 5% and 10% of segment sales, respectively. Adjusted segment operating profit declined 9.6% to roughly $44.0 million due to lower sales volume and increase R&D expenses. Adjusted segment gross margin slipped 120 basis points to 79.7% of sales.

First quarter sales for Thermo Fisher Scientific Laboratory Products and Services (LPS) improved 4.6%, 3.2% organically, to $1,544.3 million to account for 48% of company sales. Acquisitions added 1.7% to revenue growth, while currency lowered sales growth by 0.3%. Sales were on a pro forma basis including the transfer of two product lines (see IBO 5/31/13). LPS organic sales were driven by clinical trial logistics services, but were partially offset by lower sales of laboratory products to academic and government customers. The Biopharma services business accounted for roughly 13% of LPS sales. Adjusted operating profit improved 3.1% to $217.3 million but declined 30 basis points as a percentage of sales to 14.1% due to unfavorable product mix and increased investments.

VWR’s first quarter revenues declined 0.9%, 3.9% organically, to $1,024.3 million. Acquisitions, net of divestitures, and currency added 2.8% and 0.2% to revenue growth, respectively. Fewer selling days reduced sales growth by roughly 3%, with a similar impact on all three segments. Operating profits slumped 10.4% to $63.5 million due to fewer billing days. Gross profit margin slipped 30 basis points to 29.3% of revenues. Sales for the Americas segment declined 4.3% organically to make up 57% of revenues, mostly due to lower sales of consumables products. Segment operating income fell 32.5% to $24.9 million as a result of fewer selling days. European segment sales fell 2.9% organically to represent 42% of revenues due to lower sales of capital goods products and lower demand from academic and government customers. European operating profit grew 8.3% to $41.8 million due to lower personnel expenses. Excluding the divested retail product line, Science Education revenue fell roughly 9% to make up 2% of sales. Operating loss for the Science Education segment narrowed 30.4% to $3.2 million as a result of lower headcount in selling, general and administrative positions.