Walgreen Boots Stock Price, News & Analysis

Walgreens and Dion's Chicago Dream have partnered to install a Dream Vault smart locker at the Walgreens store in Gage Park, Chicago. This initiative aims to provide free, high-quality produce to over 175 local households weekly, expanding their reach to a total of 275 Chicagoland households-in-need.

The Dream Vault, unveiled last year, is designed to serve up to 200 households within a one-mile radius, offering a week's supply of fresh fruits and vegetables at no cost. This collaboration addresses food insecurity in Gage Park, where nearly 21% of residents lack reliable access to healthy food.

Walgreens' involvement includes sponsoring Dream Deliveries for 100 households and now hosting the Dream Vault. The initiative aligns with Walgreens' commitment to improving health equity and providing essential services to the community for almost 125 years.

Walgreens is urging the public to participate in National Prescription Drug Takeback Day on October 26th, 2024, as part of its ongoing efforts to combat prescription drug abuse. The company has collected and properly disposed of over 6 million pounds of unused prescription medications since 2016 through its safe medication disposal program.

Walgreens offers more than 1,550 kiosks across 46 states and Washington, D.C. for year-round, no-cost disposal of unwanted, unused, or expired medications. Customers can locate these kiosks using the store locator on walgreens.com. Pharmacies without kiosks provide free DisposeRx or other disposal options upon request. All collected medications are safely incinerated at DEA-registered facilities.

Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) reported fiscal year 2024 earnings, with fourth quarter results in line with expectations. Key points include:

- Q4 loss per share of $3.48, adjusted EPS of $0.39 (down 40.8% on constant currency)

- Q4 sales increased 6.0% year-over-year to $37.5 billion

- Fiscal 2024 loss per share of $10.01, adjusted EPS of $2.88 (down 27.9% on constant currency)

- Fiscal 2024 sales increased 6.2% to $147.7 billion

- Achieved U.S. Healthcare segment adjusted EBITDA increase of $442 million in fiscal 2024

- Announced footprint optimization program targeting approximately 1,200 store closures over three years

- Fiscal 2025 guidance: adjusted EPS of $1.40 to $1.80

Walgreens has appointed Jason Stenta as SVP and Chief Commercial Officer, effective early October. In this new role, Stenta will lead the company's B2B commercial growth strategy, focusing on developing and commercializing healthcare services based on Walgreens' core assets. He will also work on enhancing partnerships with payers, health system providers, and life sciences companies.

Stenta brings nearly 20 years of healthcare experience, most recently serving as SVP of payer sales at Optum, a UnitedHealth Group company. Prior to that, he held leadership roles at CVS Health for 10 years. His appointment is expected to strengthen Walgreens' position as a leading community pharmacy and health services provider in the U.S.

Mary Langowski, EVP and president of U.S. Healthcare at Walgreens Boots Alliance, expressed confidence in Stenta's strategic and relationship-driven leadership, highlighting his experience with complex healthcare organizations and understanding of market dynamics, regulatory requirements, and customer needs.

Walgreens announces the launch of the Student Loan 401(k) Match Program, set to begin in January 2025. This innovative benefit allows eligible team members to qualify for company 401(k) match contributions while paying down their student loans. The program aims to address the financial burden of student debt, particularly among pharmacy team members, where over half face educational debt.

Key features of the program include:

• Matching eligible student loan payments up to 4% of eligible pay
• Eligibility generally after one year plus 1,000 hours of service
• Enhanced Pharmacy Educational Assistance Program (PEAP) offering up to $40,000 in tuition assistance

This initiative reflects Walgreens' commitment to supporting team members' financial well-being and career growth, positioning the company as a leader among large employers in addressing student loan debt.

Walgreens (WBA) has announced that it will close most of its stores and pharmacies on Thanksgiving Day (November 28) for the second consecutive year. This decision aims to give team members more time with their loved ones. However, 500 Walgreens 24-hour locations and 300 pharmacies within those locations will remain open to meet customer healthcare needs. The company received positive feedback from employees about last year's Thanksgiving closure and decided to continue the tradition.

Walgreens emphasizes that team members working at 24-hour locations on Thanksgiving are essential for delivering care, especially during respiratory illness season. The company will maintain regular hours on November 27 and 28, and all locations will be open on Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Customers are advised to check local store and pharmacy hours using the Walgreens store locator.

Walgreens (WBA) has joined Pulse by NABP™, a digital platform designed to enhance visibility in the drug supply chain and protect patients from counterfeit medications. This move will assist Walgreens with Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) compliance and ensure its prescription medication suppliers are properly licensed.

The DSCSA, enacted in 2013, aims to improve pharmaceutical supply chain safety and prevent harmful drugs from entering the market. Pulse will help Walgreens verify that only legitimate and authorized trading partners provide medications to its patients.

John Colaizzi, VP of pharmacy practice at Walgreens, emphasized the company's commitment to patient safety. NABP is initially rolling out Pulse to select supply chain users, with plans to offer free registration to all prescription drug supply chain members to facilitate DSCSA-required interoperability.

Walgreens Boots Alliance (Nasdaq: WBA) has announced the schedule for its fourth quarter and 2024 fiscal year-end earnings release. The company will disclose its financial results on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, at 7 a.m. ET. Following the release, WBA management will host a one-hour conference call at 8:30 a.m. ET to discuss the results. Investors and interested parties can access the live simulcast of the conference call through the WBA investor relations website. For those unable to attend the live call, a replay will be available on the website for 12 months after the event.

Walgreens has launched a new premium skin care line that offers high-quality products at affordable prices. The collection includes cleansers, exfoliants, moisturizers, sunscreens, and serums, with prices ranging from $5.99 to $22.99. These products are at least 50% less expensive than comparable premium brands. Heather Hughes, group vice president at Walgreens, emphasizes that this line is a game-changer for budget-conscious consumers seeking luxury skincare.

The new line features products like a Gentle Cleanser ($10.49), 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant ($11.99), and Super Invisible SPF40 ($14.99). Walgreens also introduced four serums priced at $5.99 each, targeting specific skin concerns. This initiative aligns with Walgreens' focus on women's health and beauty, aiming to provide personalized, affordable solutions to its customers.