Walgreens returns to profitability as business rebounds from coronavirus lockdowns
Boots.com sales surged 155% and Walgreens.com sales increased by 39%
Walgreens Boots Alliance returned to profitability in the three months through August as business gradually recovered in key markets that were hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Deerfield, Illinois-based drugstore chain reported a fourth-quarter profit of $373 million, or an adjusted $1.02 per share, outpacing the 96 cents that Wall Street analysts surveyed by Refinitiv were expecting. COVID-19 had an estimated adverse impact of 46 cents per share.
The company lost $1.7 billion in the previous quarter as lockdowns aimed at slowing the spread of the virus curbed sales by $700 million to $750 million.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WBA | WALGREENS BOOTS ALLIANCE INC. | 8.30 | +0.06 | +0.73% |
“Despite uncertainty amid the global COVID-19 pandemic, we are seeing gradual improvement in key U.S. and UK markets and continued strong performance in our wholesale business,” CEO Stefano Pessina said in a statement. “I'm also encouraged by the accelerating growth in our e-commerce platforms.”
Boots.com sales surged 155% and Walgreens.com sales increased by 39%. Overall, revenue rose 2.3% year-over-year to $34.7 billion, ahead of the $34.37 billion that was anticipated.
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Retail pharmacy sales in the U.S. grew 3.6% from last year to $27 billion amid improved retail sales and prescription trends.
International pharmacy sales totaled $2.3 billion, down 15%, largely due to weakness in the U.K. Retail same-store sales in the U.K were off 29%, but that was an improvement from the 48% drop in the third quarter.
Walgreens' pharmaceutical wholesale business reported sales rose 4.3% from a year earlier to $6 billion amid strength in Germany and France.
The company's full-year profit was down 89% versus last year to $456 million, or an adjusted $4.74 per share. Revenue edged up 2% to $139.5 billion.
For fiscal year 2021, Walgreens sees adjusted earnings per share growing in the low single-digits.
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Shares were down 39% this year through Wednesday, lagging the S&P 500's 7.98% gain.