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Days after appointing a new CEO, shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance are on pace for the best percentage increase in nearly a year, according to Dow Jones Market Data Group.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WBA | WALGREENS BOOTS ALLIANCE INC. | 8.24 | -0.05 | -0.60% |
Shares rose over 7% last November, and Thursday's gains came after the drugstore chain announced a large cost-cutting plan.
"In just six weeks, we have taken a number of steps to align our cost structure with our business performance, including planned cost reductions of at least $1 billion, and lowered capital expenditures by approximately $600 million" said interim CEO Ginger Graham.
Walgreens named former Cigna executive Tim Wentworth permanent Chief Executive Officer earlier this week. He will be tasked with continuing to improve business after a money losing quarter and year.
Walgreens Boots Alliance
Amid a 20.7% headwind from diminished sales on COVID-related products, Walgreens’ fiscal 2023 loss per share was $3.57 compared to a profit of $5.01 per share during the same period a year-ago.
Last week, a Walgreens spokesperson told FOX Business that it had adjusted its COVID-19 vaccine availability in response to ongoing appointment disruptions. Customers on social media have reported numerous vaccine appointment cancellations at Walgreens locations.
Additionally, a group of pharmacists at the chain walked off the job earlier this week citing staffing shortages, among other issues, as reported by FOX Business.
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Pharmacist Tzofit Moskovich, left, works at a computer station as Michelle Sorto, a senior pharmacy technician for Walgreen Co., sorts files at a store in Oak Park, Illinois, on Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2011. (Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)
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Walgreens also said it will not provide guidance beyond fiscal 2024 as the company continues to evaluate macroeconomic trends and challenges, while expecting to provide long-term guidance, if any, in the future.
People make their way near a Walgreens pharmacy on March 9, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Leonardo Munoz/VIEWpress / Getty Images)
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Despite the drop in COVID-related sales, the company said fourth quarter sales jumped 9.2% year-over-year to $35.4 billion and up 8.3% on a constant currency basis.
Pharmacist Jeanie Kim, left, consults with a customer at a Walgreens pharmacy in Wheeling, Illinois. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
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FOX Business Reporter Angelica Stabile and Reuters contributed to this report.