Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Walgreens Boots (WBA) Tops Q4 Earnings, Revenues Estimates

Read MoreHide Full Article

Are you a frequent visitor to retail drugstores? Then you must have come across at least one of the 13,200 drugstores operated by Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (WBA - Free Report) . This Illinois-based company is the first global pharmacy-led, health and wellbeing enterprise.

Currently, Walgreens Boots has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) but that could change following its impressive fourth quarter fiscal 2017 earnings report which has just released.(You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. ) We have highlighted some of the key details from the just-released announcement below:

Earnings: Walgreens Boots’ adjusted earnings per share of $1.31, up 22.4% year over year surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate figure of $1.22.

Revenues: Walgreens posted revenues of $30.15 billion grew 5.3% year over year which is ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $30.05 billion

Key Stats: In the reported fourth quarter fiscal 2017, revenues from the Retail Pharmacy USA division increased 7.5% to $22.3 billion and revenues from the Pharmaceutical Wholesale division rose 0.8% to $5.4 billion. However, revenues from the Retail Pharmacy International division dropped 3.2% to $2.9 billion. Moreover, Walgreens Boots filled 250.2 million prescriptions (including immunizations) on a 30-day adjusted basis in the quarter, reflecting an increase of 9% over fourth quarter of fiscal 2016.

Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise

Major Factors: Per management, Walgreens Boots fourth quarter 2017 results were in line with its expectations. This is on account of the company’s strategic tie-ups which brought more patients to its U.S. pharmacies. Management is currently optimistic about its ongoing cost transformation program and remains confident about the long-term growth of the company. The company is also upbeat about gaining from the expansion of U.S. retail pharmacy network through the planned purchases of Rite Aid stores.

Stock Price: Following the earnings release, share prices rose 3.4% during the pre-market trading session.

Check back later for our full write up on this Walgreens Boots earnings report later!

Zacks' Hidden Trades

While we share many recommendations and ideas with the public, certain moves are hidden from everyone but selected members of our portfolio services. Would you like to peek behind the curtain today and view them?

Starting now, for the next month, I invite you to follow all Zacks' private buys and sells in real time from value to momentum...from stocks under $10 to ETF to option movers...from insider trades to companies that are about to report positive earnings surprises (we've called them with 80%+ accuracy). You can even look inside portfolios so exclusive that they are normally closed to new investors.

Click here for Zacks' secret trade>>


See More Zacks Research for These Tickers


Normally $25 each - click below to receive one report FREE:


Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (WBA) - free report >>

Published in