Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (NASDAQ: WBA) has been struggling to keep up gross sales momentum and profitability for fairly a while as a result of a difficult working atmosphere. The primary headwinds to the enterprise are inflation-induced pressure on shopper spending and unfavorable market dynamics. Contemplating these elements, market watchers have issued not-so-optimistic estimates for the August quarter.
The market’s disappointment over Walgreens’ incapability to remain resilient is seen within the efficiency of its inventory. WBA is likely one of the worst-performing shares that continuously underperformed the trade and the broad market in current occasions. Final month, the shares slipped into the single-digit territory for the primary time in additional than twenty years. The worth has plunged round 67% up to now this yr.
The Deerfield-headquartered retail pharma big is ready to publish its fourth-quarter report on Tuesday, October 15, at 7:00 am ET. The consensus earnings estimate for the ultimate three months of fiscal 2024 is $0.36 per share, which is sharply decrease than the $0.67 per share the corporate earned within the prior-year quarter. Gross sales are anticipated to extend modestly to $35.75 billion within the fourth quarter from $35.42 billion a yr earlier.
Slowdown
With household budgets coming beneath strain from the financial slowdown, Walgreens’ clients have turn into more and more price-conscious. The state of affairs has pressured the corporate to introduce promotional provides and reductions, which in flip put strain on near-term profitability. In the meantime, the corporate has initiated measures to make its enterprise mannequin sustainable, resembling renegotiating incentives with companions and partnering straight with pharma firms to benefit from its distinctive place available in the market.
Walgreens and its friends like CVS Well being have been going through stiff competitors from Amazon ever for the reason that latter entered the pharmacy retail house with the acquisition of PillPack about six years in the past. Whereas persevering with its efforts to spice up retailer visitors, Walgreens has revealed plans to shut almost a fourth of its shops, with a give attention to unprofitable places, because the shift to on-line prescriptions continues.
Within the three months ended Might 31, 2024, Walgreens’ gross sales grew throughout all three working segments, driving up the full to $36.4 billion. Comparable pharmacy gross sales rose 5.7% year-over-year, whereas comparable retail gross sales dropped 2.3%. Excluding particular gadgets, third-quarter earnings decreased to $0.63 per share from $1.00 per share a yr earlier, primarily reflecting decrease sale-leaseback positive aspects and softness in retail and pharmacy efficiency.
Outlook
In the meantime, reported revenue greater than doubled to $344 million or $0.40 per share in the course of the three months, aided by a lower in SG&A bills. Earnings missed Avenue View whereas revenues nearly matched estimates, after beating within the trailing two quarters. In an indication that the pressure on profitability has prolonged into the second half, the Walgreens management forecasts adjusted earnings per share within the $2.80-2.95 vary for fiscal 2024, which is under the prior-year quantity.
“As we sit up for the rest of the yr, we’re working beneath the next assumptions. We count on the working atmosphere to stay difficult. We don’t count on an enchancment within the U.S. retail atmosphere. And eventually, we count on script quantity development to stay muted and anticipate continued pressures on pharmacy margins. In mild of those elements, we’re decreasing our outlook. We now count on to ship adjusted earnings per share of $2.80 to $2.95 for the fiscal yr 2024,” mentioned Walgreens’ CEO Tim Wentworth in the course of the Q3 earnings name.
Walgreens’ inventory has been languishing under its 12-month common for round 5 months. After shedding a dismal 54% up to now six months, the shares traded barely greater on Monday afternoon.
