CVS Caremark Corp. will give investors and analysts more insight Wednesday into how much the flu season and generic drugs have been helping the sector when it reports fourth-quarter earnings.

The flu returned this winter with renewed intensity after a couple of mild seasons. Higher-than-normal reports of flu started cropping up in several states before Christmas. This can help drugstore chains like CVS Caremark because it brings in more customers to stock up on prescriptions or pick up over-the-counter remedies for symptoms.

The bottom line for CVS Caremark and other drugstore operators also has been helped by generic drugs for the past few quarters, and investors will want an update on that.