Walgreens Boots (WBA) Up 5.4% Since Earnings Report: Can It Continue?
Zacks Equity Research
Updated
It has been about a month since the last earnings report for Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. WBA. Shares have added about 5.4% in that time frame, outperforming the market.
Will the recent positive trend continue leading up to the stock's next earnings release, or is it due for a pullback? Before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late, let's take a quick look at its most recent earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important catalysts.
Recent Earnings
Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (WBA) reported adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $1.36 in second-quarter fiscal 2017, up 6.1% year over year. Adjusted EPS was in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate.
On a reported basis, net earnings came in at $1.06 billion, reflecting an increase of 13.9% from the prior-year quarter. Reported earnings came in at $0.98, reflecting an improvement of 15.3% on a year-over-year basis.
Total Sales
Walgreens Boots recorded total sales of $29.44 billion in the fiscal second quarter, down 2.4% year over year and up 0.9% at constant exchange rate (CER). The top line missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $30.56 billion.
Following the earnings release, the company’s share price dropped 0.90% during pre-market trading session.
Segments in Detail
Walgreens Boots currently reports under three operating segments: Retail Pharmacy USA, Retail Pharmacy International and Pharmaceutical Wholesale.
The Retail Pharmacy USA division delivered sales of $21.81 billion in the reported quarter, reflecting an increase of 1.5% on a year-over-year basis. Within this segment, total sales at comparable drugstores rose 2.4%, while prescriptions filled in comparable stores grew 7.9% on account of Medicare Part D growth and volume growth from previously announced strategic pharmacy collaborations. On the other hand, comparable retail stores edged down 0.8% due to lower sales of consumables and general merchandise category and at the personal care category, partially offset by higher sales in the health and wellness and beauty categories.
Pharmacy sales, which accounted for 66.5% of the division’s sales in the quarter, increased 3.7% from the year-ago period, while pharmacy sales at comparable stores increased 4.2% on higher volumes.
Revenues at the Retail Pharmacy International division declined 14.5% on a year-over-year basis (down 1.9% at CER) to $3.10 billion, on account of currency fluctuations. At CER, comparable store sales in the second quarter increased 0.6% year over year, while comparable pharmacy sales fell 3.7% due to a reduction in government pharmacy funding in the U.K.
The Pharmaceutical Wholesale division recorded quarterly sales of $5.03 billion, down 10.6% year over year. At CER, excluding acquisitions and dispositions, comparable store sales rose 5.2%.
Margins
Gross profit decreased 3.8% year over year to $7.56 billion. Reported gross margin contracted 39 basis points (bps) to $25.67 million.
Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses inched up 1.9% to $6.12 billion. Adjusted operating income decreased 22.7% to $1.43 billion owing to significantly lower gross profits. Accordingly, adjusted operating margin contracted 128 bps to 4.8%.
Financial Condition
Walgreens Boots ended the second quarter of 2017 with cash and cash equivalents of $11.82 billion, compared with $9.56 billion at the end of first-quarter fiscal 2017. Long-term debt was $17.75 billion at the end of the reported quarter, compared with $12.97 billion at the end of the second quarter of fiscal 2016.
Moreover, over the last six months the company generated operating cash flow of $3.38 billion, as compared to $525 million in the first quarter fiscal 2017. The resultant free cash flow was $2.74 billion in the reported quarter as compared with $147 million in the first quarter.
Guidance
Walgreens Boots maintained its guidance for fiscal 2017 and continues to expect adjusted earnings per share in the range of $4.90 to $5.08.The Zacks Consensus Estimate of $5.00 is within the guided range.
As announced on Jan 30, 2017, the company no longer expects any material accretion from Rite Aid in fiscal 2017. Additionally, this guidance assumes current exchange rates for the rest of the fiscal.
How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?
Following the release, investors have witnessed a downward trend in fresh estimates. There have been two revisions lower for the current quarter.
Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. Price and Consensus
Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. Price and Consensus | Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. Quote
VGM Scores
At this time, Walgreens Boots' stock has a great Growth Score of 'A', though it is lagging a lot on the momentum front with a 'F'. However, the stock was allocated a grade of 'B' on the value side, putting it in the top 40% for this investment strategy.
Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of 'B'. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.
Our style scores indicate that the stock is more suitable for growth investors than value investors.
Outlook
Estimates have been broadly trending downward for the stock. The magnitude of these revisions also indicates a downward shift. Interestingly, the stock has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). We are looking for an inline return from the stock in the next few months.
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