Walgreen Boots Stock Price, News & Analysis

Grubhub has announced a partnership with Walgreens to offer nationwide delivery from Walgreens and Duane Reade locations through its marketplace. The collaboration enables customers to access approximately 15,000 items for on-demand delivery, including beauty, health and wellness, snacks, personal care, household items, and toys.

According to Grubhub's data, customers who shop from convenience merchants on their platform order nearly three times more per month than those who don't. The partnership focuses on key markets like Chicago and New York City, with both Walgreens and Duane Reade locations being integrated into Grubhub+, the company's loyalty program, offering members benefits such as zero delivery fees, lower service fees, and exclusive offers on eligible orders.

NationsBenefits, a healthcare fintech platform, announced a retail integration with Walgreens that allows members of their 100+ health plan partners to use Benefits Mastercard® Prepaid Cards at Walgreens locations nationwide for eligible over-the-counter health products. The integration utilizes NationsBenefits' proprietary Basket Analyzer Service (BAS) technology for real-time, item-level adjudication at point of sale.

The collaboration aims to improve healthcare accessibility, particularly in underserved communities, by combining Walgreens' retail presence with NationsBenefits' technology infrastructure. The system ensures compliant purchases while maintaining health plan guidelines, leveraging Mastercard's network for enhanced payment acceptance across thousands of locations.

Walgreens reports significant increase in flu activity across the US, with current levels 204% higher compared to the same period last year. The Walgreens Flu Index has tracked four consecutive weeks of increasing flu cases, with Oklahoma, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Texas showing the highest activity levels.

According to Anita Pael, VP of pharmacy services development, the concerning factors are the high numbers of hospitalizations and outpatient visits, with cases not yet peaked. The CDC indicates this is the most intense flu season in 15 years, with flu-symptom-driven doctors' visits exceeding any winter flu season peak since 2009-2010.

Walgreens offers comprehensive flu services including vaccinations, testing, and treatment options. The company provides combination tests for influenza A/B and COVID-19 with results in 30 minutes, along with at-home tests and same-day prescription delivery services.

Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) has announced the early settlement of certain prepaid variable share forward transactions related to Cencora shares, resulting in approximately $300 million in proceeds. The transaction involves the delivery of 6.1 million Cencora shares and a concurrent sale of 1.3 million additional shares.

Following the settlement, WBA retains approximately 12.6 million Cencora shares pledged under remaining forward contracts, scheduled to mature during March, June, and September 2025. The company's ownership in Cencora has decreased from 10% to approximately 6%. The proceeds will primarily be used for debt paydown, specifically addressing fiscal year 2026 debt maturities, and general corporate purposes.

The transaction includes a net aggregate cash payment of approximately $20 million to financial institutions. Despite the reduced ownership, WBA maintains its strategic partnership with Cencora, with Ornella Barra continuing to serve on Cencora's Board of Directors.

Walgreens celebrates the one-year anniversary of its Deans Advisory Council, a partnership with 17 pharmacy school deans focused on enhancing the pharmacy profession and addressing industry challenges. The collaboration has yielded several significant achievements, including:

• Launch of the Student Loan 401(k) Match Program
• Enhancement of the Pharmacy Educational Assistance Program offering up to $40,000 in tuition assistance
• Expansion of residency programs at multiple universities
• Establishment of pharmacy practice fellowships
• Implementation of a Patient Code of Conduct
• Revamping of pharmacy practice experiences to emphasize direct patient care

The Council is actively working on reimbursement reform and curriculum development, incorporating modern pharmacy technologies and patient care approaches. The initiative represents a long-term commitment to driving systemic change that benefits pharmacists and patients alike.

Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) has announced the suspension of its quarterly cash dividend as part of its broader turnaround strategy. The decision comes as management evaluates and refines the company's capital allocation policy. This strategic move aims to strengthen the company's balance sheet through debt reduction and improved free cash flow.

The company cited upcoming cash requirements, including litigation costs and debt refinancing, as key factors in the dividend suspension decision. WBA's leadership emphasizes their commitment to executing strategic priorities and maintaining financial discipline to create long-term value.

Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) reported fiscal 2025 first quarter results with sales increasing 7.5% year-over-year to $39.5 billion. The company reported a loss per share of $0.31, compared to a loss of $0.08 in the year-ago quarter, while adjusted EPS was $0.51 versus $0.66 previously.

The U.S. Retail Pharmacy segment saw sales rise 6.6% to $30.9 billion, with pharmacy sales up 10.4% and comparable prescriptions filled increasing 2.3%. However, retail sales decreased 6.2%. The International segment grew 10.2% to $6.4 billion, with strong performance from Boots UK and Germany. U.S. Healthcare segment reached $2.2 billion in sales with growth across all businesses.

WBA maintains its fiscal 2025 adjusted EPS guidance of $1.40 to $1.80, with growth in U.S. Healthcare and International expected to be offset by U.S. Retail Pharmacy decline and higher tax rates.

Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) has rescheduled its fiscal year 2025 first quarter earnings announcement from January 9 to January 10, 2024. The change is due to the closure of the Securities and Exchange Commission and U.S. stock markets on January 9 in observance of a national day of mourning for former President Jimmy Carter.

The company will release its Q1 results at 7 a.m. ET on January 10, followed by a one-hour conference call with management at 8:30 a.m. ET. The earnings call will be simulcast through WBA's investor relations website, with a replay available for 12 months after the call.

This story has been deleted by the news provider.