Folks stroll by a Walgreens on Nov. 3, 2024 in Brookline, Massachusetts.
Danielle DeVries | CNBC
Walgreens on Friday reported fiscal first-quarter earnings and income that topped expectations, because it shutters shops and cuts different prices to steer itself out of a tough spot.
Here is what Walgreens reported for the three-month interval ended Nov. 30 in contrast with what Wall Avenue was anticipating, primarily based on a survey of analysts by LSEG:
- Earnings per share: 51 cents adjusted vs. 37 cents anticipated
- Income: $39.46 billion vs. $37.36 billion anticipated
Even after the large beats, Walgreens maintained its fiscal 2025 adjusted earnings steering of $1.40 to $1.80 per share. The corporate didn’t embrace annual gross sales steering in its launch. In October, Walgreens mentioned it expects income for the fiscal yr of $147 billion to $151 billion.
Shares climbed greater than 5% in premarket buying and selling.
The corporate capped off a rocky previous yr marked by pharmacy reimbursement strain, softer client spending and challenges associated to its push into main care, amongst different points. The outcomes come amid reviews that the corporate is in talks to promote itself to personal fairness agency Sycamore Companions.
Throughout the fiscal first quarter, Walgreens booked gross sales of $39.46 billion, up 7.5% from the identical interval a yr in the past, as its three enterprise segments grew.
The corporate reported a web lack of $265 million, or 31 cents per share, for the fiscal first quarter. It compares with a web lack of $67 million, or 8 cents per share, for the year-earlier interval.
Walgreens mentioned the loss was primarily pushed by increased working losses, which mirror its multiyear plan to shut underperforming shops. That features 1,200 over the following three years, with 500 in fiscal 2025 alone.
Walgreens has round 8,500 retail pharmacy places throughout the U.S., in line with its web site.
Excluding sure gadgets, adjusted earnings had been 51 cents per share for the quarter.
The primary-quarter outcomes “mirror our disciplined execution in opposition to our 2025 priorities: stabilizing the retail pharmacy by optimizing our footprint, controlling working prices, bettering money movement and persevering with to deal with reimbursement fashions,” Walgreens CEO Tim Wentworth mentioned in a launch.
He added that “whereas our turnaround will take time, our early progress reinforces our perception in a sustainable, retail pharmacy-led working Mannequin.”
Development throughout enterprise items
Walgreens posted development throughout its three enterprise segments within the fiscal first quarter.
The corporate’s U.S. retail pharmacy division generated $30.87 billion in gross sales, a rise of 6.6% from the identical interval final yr. Analysts had anticipated gross sales of $29.21 billion, in line with estimates compiled by StreetAccount.
That unit operates the corporate’s drugstores, which promote prescription and nonprescription drugs in addition to well being and wellness, magnificence, private care, and meals merchandise.
Walgreens mentioned pharmacy gross sales for the quarter rose 10.4% and comparable pharmacy gross sales elevated 12.7% in contrast with the year-earlier interval attributable to worth inflation in model drugs, amongst different components.
Whole prescriptions crammed within the quarter, together with vaccines, got here to 316.3 million, a 1.5% improve from the identical interval a yr in the past. Retail gross sales fell 6.2% from the prior-year quarter, and comparable retail gross sales declined 4.6%. The corporate cited a weaker cough, chilly and flu season and decrease gross sales in discretionary product classes.
Gross sales from the corporate’s U.S. health-care unit jumped to $2.17 billion within the fiscal first quarter, up greater than 12% from the identical interval a yr in the past. Analysts had anticipated gross sales of $2.09 billion, in line with estimates compiled by StreetAccount.
That partly displays development in primary-care supplier VillageMD and specialty pharmacy firm Shields Well being Options. Specialty pharmacies are designed to ship drugs with distinctive dealing with, storage and distribution necessities, usually for sufferers with complicated situations.
Walgreens’ worldwide unit, which operates greater than 3,000 retail shops overseas, booked $6.43 billion in gross sales within the fiscal first quarter. That is a rise of 10.2% from the year-ago interval.
Analysts anticipated income of $5.85 billion for the interval, in line with StreetAccount.
The corporate mentioned gross sales from its U.Okay.-based drugstore chain, Boots, elevated 4.5%.
