First quarter results, year-over-year:
*Sales increased 5.7 percent to $36.3 billion, up 5.2 percent on a constant currency basis
*Loss per share was $0.36, compared to EPS of $0.95 in the year-ago quarter, including a $1.73 per share charge from the company’s equity earnings in AmerisourceBergen; Adjusted EPS decreased 11.2 percent to $1.22, down 11.6 percent on a constant currency basis, reflecting an estimated adverse COVID-19 impact of $0.26 to $0.30 per share
*Net cash provided by operating activities was $1.2 billion, an increase of $134 million; Free cash flow was $763 million, an increase of $90 million, or 13 percent
*Company Accelerates Healthcare and Omnichannel Investments
Fiscal 2021 outlook
Company maintained guidance of low single-digit growth in adjusted earnings per share at constant currency rates.
Strategic transactions
Company executes portfolio transformation with divestiture of pharmaceutical wholesale business. For more information click here.
Company accelerates its investment in VillageMD and boosts the large-scale rollout of full-service primary care clinics in stores. For more information click here.
Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (Nasdaq: WBA) today announced financial results for the first quarter of fiscal 2021, which ended Nov. 30, 2020.
Executive Vice Chairman and CEO Stefano Pessina said, “Our first quarter results exceeded expectations as we continue to deliver on our strategic priorities. As announced yesterday we have taken a major step forward in our transformation; we are divesting our pharmaceutical wholesale business with plans to use the proceeds to accelerate our investments in healthcare. While the business environment remains challenging, we are rising to the occasion with agility and discipline and we are confident in our outlook for adjusted EPS for the fiscal year. Our role in the healthcare system has never been more important, as the communities we serve continue to turn to our trusted brands and expert pharmacists. I am so proud of our teams and the historic and critical role they are playing to help the world emerge from the pandemic, administering COVID-19 vaccinations to frontline healthcare workers and vulnerable members of our society.”
Overview of First Quarter Results
WBA had fiscal 2021 first quarter sales of $36.3 billion, an increase of 5.7 percent from the year-ago quarter, and an increase of 5.2 percent on a constant currency basis1, reflecting growth in Retail Pharmacy USA and Pharmaceutical Wholesale.
The company had an operating loss of $440 million in the first quarter, compared to operating income of $1.0 billion in the same quarter a year ago, entirely due to a $1.5 billion charge from the company’s equity earnings in AmerisourceBergen. Adjusted operating income was $1.3 billion, a decrease of 9.9 percent from the same quarter a year ago and a decrease of 10.1 percent on a constant currency basis.
Net loss attributable to WBA2 was $308 million for the first quarter of fiscal 2021 compared with net profit of $845 million in the same quarter a year ago. The loss was entirely due to the AmerisourceBergen charge. Loss per share was $0.36, compared to earnings per share (EPS) of $0.95 in the same quarter a year ago.
Adjusted net earnings decreased 13.9 percent to $1.1 billion, down 14.3 percent on a constant currency basis, compared with the same quarter a year ago. Adjusted EPS was $1.22, a decrease of 11.2 percent on a reported basis and a decrease of 11.6 percent on a constant currency basis, compared with the same quarter a year ago, reflecting an estimated adverse COVID-19 impact of $0.26 to $0.30 per share.
Net cash provided by operating activities was $1.2 billion in the first quarter and free cash flow was $763 million, an increase of 13 percent compared with the year-ago quarter.
more detail at: https://www.walgreensbootsalliance.com/news-media/press-releases/2021/walgreens-boots-alliance-fiscal-2021-first-quarter-results-exceed