Walgreen Boots Stock Price, News & Analysis

Walgreens Boots Alliance (Nasdaq: WBA) and VillageMD have announced the opening of five new Village Medical at Walgreens practices in the Jacksonville area. This initiative aims to enhance healthcare accessibility and will create over 295 new jobs, including 100 in STEM fields. The first practice opens on February 15, 2022. This expansion follows recent openings in Orlando and Tampa, solidifying their presence in the Florida market.

Walgreens Advertising Group has announced new self-serve programmatic and clean-room solutions for brand advertisers. These solutions enable advertisers to utilize Walgreens' first-party data on their chosen demand-side platforms (DSPs). The offerings aim to enhance campaign management and deliver personalized ads, leveraging over 95 million myWalgreens members and 1 billion daily touchpoints. Advertisers will access these solutions in Q2, optimizing campaigns through closed-loop reporting. Customer privacy remains a priority, featuring data confidentiality within the new service.

Walgreens (WBA) has partnered with Western Dental & Orthodontics and the NFL Alumni Association to offer free COVID-19 vaccines, boosters, and rapid tests at an event in Inglewood, California, on February 12. The initiative aims to address the vaccination gap in vulnerable communities which lag by as much as 30% compared to affluent areas. The event will also feature former NFL players, giveaways, and resources to improve health access. Vaccines and tests will be administered by licensed professionals, supporting community health ahead of the big game on February 13.

Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) announced the appointment of Steven J. Shulman to its board of directors, effective January 27, 2022. Bringing a wealth of healthcare management experience and an extensive background in emerging healthcare technologies, Shulman is expected to provide valuable insights as WBA continues to enhance local healthcare delivery. His previous leadership roles include CEO of Magellan Health Services. Executive Chairman Stefano Pessina and CEO Roz Brewer expressed confidence in Shulman's contributions towards the company’s consumer-centric healthcare strategy.

Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) has declared a quarterly dividend of 47.75 cents per share, unchanged from the last quarter but up 2.1% from the same quarter last year. The dividend will be payable on March 11, 2022, to stockholders of record by February 18, 2022. WBA has consistently paid dividends for 357 quarters and increased it for 46 consecutive years, reinforcing its commitment to shareholder returns.

Walgreens has launched the 12th Annual Expressions competition for high school students, promoting creativity as a means to address mental health issues. The contest invites submissions in visual arts, video production, and spoken word, with $2,000 prizes for each of the 12 winners. The initiative aligns with concerns raised by the U.S. Surgeon General regarding youth mental health, exacerbated by the pandemic. Since 2009, the program has reached 1 million students and awarded over $350,000 in prizes. Submissions are open until March 31, 2022.

Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) announces the opening of eight new Village Medical at Walgreens locations in Tucson, Arizona, by the end of 2022, creating 285 full-time jobs, including 140 STEM roles. These openings enhance access to primary care for over 3 million Arizonans, addressing a significant doctor shortage. The investment aims to expand its primary care services, with plans to launch over 600 Village Medical practices by 2025. This collaborative approach between VillageMD and Walgreens is expected to improve healthcare access and patient outcomes.

The Walgreens COVID-19 Index, a new tracking tool created in partnership with Aegis Sciences Corporation, provides real-time data on COVID-19 variants. Currently, over 95% of positive cases are presumed to be the Omicron variant. The Index can deliver insights within 24 to 48 hours and allows users to review data by state. Key states report positivity rates exceeding 45%. Walgreens emphasizes the importance of vaccinations and offers them at nearly 9,000 locations.

Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) reported strong first-quarter results for fiscal 2022, with earnings per share (EPS) from continuing operations at $4.13, recovering from a loss of $0.45 last year. Sales increased 7.8% to $33.9 billion, while operating income rose to $1.3 billion compared to a loss in the previous year. The company has raised its full-year adjusted EPS guidance, anticipating low-single digit growth. Highlights included significant growth in U.S. retail comparable sales and effective COVID-19 vaccination efforts, with over 15.6 million administered in the quarter.