DEERFIELD, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (Nasdaq: WBA) today announced financial results for the first quarter of fiscal 2024, which ended November 30, 2023.

Chief Executive Officer Tim Wentworth said:

“WBA delivered fiscal first quarter results in line with overall expectations, reflecting disciplined execution in a challenging consumer backdrop. We are evaluating all strategic options to drive sustainable long-term shareholder value, focusing on swift actions to right-size costs and increase cash flow, with a balanced approach to capital allocation priorities. Today we are announcing a 48 percent reduction in our quarterly dividend payment, while maintaining a competitive yield. We are proud to be a trusted and independent partner of choice, delivering healthcare to millions of people. And, we will leverage our local, convenient presence to engage with patients and help payors, providers, and pharma companies also achieve better health outcomes at an affordable cost.”

Overview of First Quarter Results

WBA first quarter sales increased 10.0 percent from the year-ago quarter to $36.7 billion, an increase of 8.7 percent on a constant currency basis, reflecting sales growth in the U.S. Retail Pharmacy and International segments, and sales contributions from the U.S. Healthcare segment.

First quarter operating loss was $39 million compared to an operating loss of $6.2 billion in the year-ago quarter. Year over year improvement in operating loss is due to lapping the $6.5 billion pre-tax charge for opioid-related claims and litigation recorded in the year-ago quarter. Adjusted operating income was $687 million, a decrease of 33.0 percent on a constant currency basis reflecting softer U.S. retail market trends, partly offset by improved profitability in U.S. Healthcare and International growth.

Net loss in the first quarter was $67 million compared to a net loss of $3.7 billion in the year-ago quarter. Net loss in the first quarter included $278 million after-tax charge for fair value adjustments on financial derivatives related to forward sale of Cencora shares. Year over year improvement in net loss is primarily driven by higher operating income, partially offset by lapping the $0.9 billion post-tax gain from the partial sale of the Company’s equity method investment in Cencora in the year-ago quarter. Adjusted net earnings decreased 43.1 percent to $571 million, down 43.7 percent on a constant currency basis, reflecting lower adjusted operating income and a higher adjusted effective tax rate primarily due to lapping of a valuation allowance release related to capital loss carryforwards in the year-ago quarter.

Loss per share in the first quarter was $0.08 compared to loss per share of $4.31 in the year-ago quarter. Adjusted earnings per share decreased 43.1 percent to $0.66, reflecting a decrease of 43.7 percent on a constant currency basis.

Net cash used for operating activities was $281 million in the first quarter. Operating cash flow was negatively impacted by an anticipated inventory build for the U.S. and UK holiday season and timing of payor reimbursement. Free cash flow was negative $788 million, a $671 million decrease compared with the year-ago quarter primarily driven by phasing of working capital and lower earnings. Capital expenditures decreased by $104 million compared to the year-ago quarter.

Business Segments

U.S. Retail Pharmacy

The U.S. Retail Pharmacy segment had first quarter sales of $28.9 billion, an increase of 6.4 percent from the year-ago quarter. Comparable sales increased 8.1 percent from the year-ago quarter.

Pharmacy sales increased 10.7 percent compared to the year-ago quarter. Comparable pharmacy sales increased 13.1 percent in the quarter compared to the year-ago quarter, benefiting from higher branded drug inflation and strong execution in pharmacy services. Comparable prescriptions filled in the first quarter increased 1.3 percent from the year-ago quarter while comparable prescriptions excluding immunizations increased 1.8 percent, impacted by lower market growth due to a weaker flu and respiratory season, and Medicaid redeterminations. Total prescriptions filled in the quarter, including immunizations, adjusted to 30-day equivalents was 311.6 million, flat versus the prior year quarter.

Retail sales decreased 6.1 percent and comparable retail sales decreased 5.0 percent compared with the year-ago quarter, reflecting macroeconomic-driven consumer trends, a 160 basis point direct impact from a weaker flu and respiratory season, and Thanksgiving holiday store closures.

Adjusted operating income decreased 37.2 percent to $694 million compared to $1.1 billion in the year-ago quarter, reflecting a weaker flu and respiratory season, lower retail sales, and continued pharmacy reimbursement pressure net of procurement savings, partly offset by execution in pharmacy services and cost savings.

International

The International segment had first quarter sales of $5.8 billion, an increase of 12.4 percent from the year-ago quarter, including a favorable currency impact of 8.0 percent. Sales increased 4.4 percent on a constant currency basis, with Boots UK sales growing 6.2 percent, and the Germany wholesale business growing 3.7 percent.

Boots UK comparable pharmacy sales increased 0.8 percent compared with the year-ago quarter. Boots UK comparable retail sales increased 9.8 percent compared to the year-ago quarter with growth across all categories and formats, and increased total retail market share for the 11th consecutive quarter. Boots.com continued to perform strongly with sales growing 17.5 percent, representing over 19 percent of Boots total retail sales.

Adjusted operating income increased 22.3 percent to $142 million, an increase of 15.0 percent on a constant currency basis compared with the year-ago quarter, led by strong retail sales in the UK partially offset by inflationary cost pressures.

U.S. Healthcare

The U.S. Healthcare segment had first quarter sales of $1.9 billion, reflecting the acquisition of Summit Health by VillageMD, and growth in all businesses compared to the year-ago quarter. On a pro forma basis, the segment’s businesses grew sales at a combined rate of 12 percent in the quarter, led by VillageMD and Shields. VillageMD grew 14 percent on a pro forma basis, reflecting same clinic growth, additional full-risk lives, and increased multi-specialty productivity. Shields grew 27 percent, driven by recent contract wins and further expansion of existing partnerships.

Operating loss was $436 million, flat versus the year-ago quarter. Adjusted operating loss, which excludes certain costs related to stock compensation expense and amortization of acquired intangible assets, was $96 million compared to $152 million in the year-ago quarter.

Adjusted EBITDA loss of $39 million improved by $84 million versus the prior year quarter reflecting growth across all businesses and cost discipline.

Conference Call

WBA will hold a conference call to discuss the first quarter results beginning at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time today, January 4, 2024. A live simulcast as well as related presentation materials will be available through WBA’s investor relations website at: https://investor.walgreensbootsalliance.com. A replay of the conference will be archived on the website for at least 12 months after the event.

*All references to net earnings or net loss are to net earnings or net loss attributable to WBA, and all references to EPS are to diluted EPS attributable to WBA.

**"Adjusted,” “constant currency” and free cash flow amounts are non-GAAP financial measures. Measures identified as “comparable” constitute key performance indicators. See the appendix to this release for a discussion of non-GAAP financial measures, including a reconciliation to the most closely correlated GAAP measure, and key performance indicators.

*** The Company uses Adjusted operating income (loss) as its principal measure of segment performance as it enhances the Company’s ability to compare past financial performance with current performance and analyze underlying segment performance and trends. The consolidated WBA measure is not determined in accordance with GAAP and should not be considered a substitute for, or superior to, the most directly comparable GAAP measure, consolidated operating income. See the appendix to this release for a discussion of non-GAAP financial measures, including a reconciliation to the most closely correlated GAAP measure.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: This release contains forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These include, without limitation, estimates of and goals for future operating, financial and tax performance and results, including the impact of opioid related claims and litigation settlements, our fiscal year 2024 guidance, outlook and targets and related assumptions and drivers, as well as forward-looking statements concerning the expected execution and effect of our business strategies, including the potential impacts on our business of COVID-19, the impact of adverse global macroeconomic conditions caused by factors including, among others, inflation, high interest rates, labor shortages, supply chain disruptions and pandemics like COVID-19 on our operations and financial results, the financial performance of our equity method investees, including Cencora, the influence of certain holidays and seasonality, our cost-savings and growth initiatives, including statements relating to our expected cost savings under our Transformational Cost Management Program and expansion and future operating and financial results of our U.S. Healthcare segment, including our long-term sales targets and profitability expectations. All statements in the future tense and all statements accompanied by words such as “expect,” “outlook,” “forecast,” “would,” “could,” “should,” “can,” “will,” “project,” “intend,” “plan,” “goal,” “guidance,” “target,” “aim,” continue,” “transform,” “accelerate,” “model,” “long-term,” “believe,” “seek,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “may,” “possible,” “assume,” “potential,” and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements.

These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions, known or unknown, that could cause actual results to vary materially from those indicated or anticipated.

These risks, assumptions and uncertainties include those described in Item 1A (Risk Factors) of our Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2023, as amended, and in other documents that we file or furnish with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). If one or more of these risks or uncertainties materializes, or if underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those indicated or anticipated by such forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements we make or that are made on our behalf are qualified by these cautionary statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made.

We do not undertake, and expressly disclaim, any duty or obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statement after the date of this release, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions or otherwise.

Please refer to the supplemental information presented below for reconciliations of the non-GAAP financial measures used in this release to the most comparable GAAP financial measure and related disclosures.

Notes to Editors:

About Walgreens Boots Alliance

Walgreens Boots Alliance (Nasdaq: WBA) is an integrated healthcare, pharmacy and retail leader serving millions of customers and patients every day, with a 170-year heritage of caring for communities.

A trusted, global innovator in retail pharmacy with approximately 12,500 locations across the U.S., Europe and Latin America, WBA plays a critical role in the healthcare ecosystem. The Company is reimagining local healthcare and well-being for all as part of its purpose – to create more joyful lives through better health. Through dispensing medicines, improving access to a wide range of health services, providing high quality health and beauty products and offering anytime, anywhere convenience across its digital platforms, WBA is shaping the future of healthcare.

WBA employs approximately 330,000 people and has a presence in eight countries through its portfolio of consumer brands: Walgreens, Boots, Duane Reade, the No7 Beauty Company, and Benavides in Mexico. Additionally, WBA has a portfolio of healthcare-focused investments located in several countries, including China and the U.S.

The Company is proud of its contributions to healthy communities, a healthy planet, an inclusive workplace and a sustainable marketplace. WBA has been recognized for its commitment to being an inclusive workplace. In fiscal 2023, the Company received a score of 100 from the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index, scored 100 percent on the Disability Equality Index for disability inclusion and was named Disability:IN’s 2023 Employer of the Year. In addition, WBA has been recognized for its commitment to operating sustainably as the company is an index component of the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI).

More Company information is available at www.walgreensbootsalliance.com.

(WBA-ER)

WALGREENS BOOTS ALLIANCE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION (UNAUDITED)
REGARDING NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

The following information provides reconciliations of the supplemental non-GAAP financial measures, as defined under the SEC rules, presented in this press release to the most directly comparable financial measures calculated and presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (GAAP). The Company has provided the non-GAAP financial measures in the press release, which are not calculated or presented in accordance with GAAP, as supplemental information and in addition to the financial measures that are calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP.

These supplemental non-GAAP financial measures are presented because management has evaluated the Company’s financial results both including and excluding the adjusted items or the effects of foreign currency translation, as applicable, and believes that the supplemental non-GAAP financial measures presented provide additional perspective and insights when analyzing the core operating performance of the Company from period to period and trends in the Company’s historical operating results. The Company also uses non-GAAP financial measures as a basis for certain compensation programs it sponsors. These supplemental non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered superior to, as a substitute for or as an alternative to, and should be considered in conjunction with, the GAAP financial measures presented in the press release.

The Company does not provide a reconciliation for non-GAAP estimates to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures on a forward-looking basis where it is unable to provide a meaningful or accurate calculation or estimation of reconciling items and the information is not available without unreasonable effort. This is due to the inherent difficulty of forecasting the timing or amount of various items that have not yet occurred, are out of the Company’s control and/or cannot be reasonably predicted, such as unusual one-time charges, tax expenses, and material litigation expenses, and that would impact diluted net earnings per share, the most directly comparable forward-looking GAAP financial measure. For the same reasons, the Company is unable to address the probable significance of the unavailable information. Forward-looking non-GAAP financial measures provided without the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures may vary materially from the corresponding GAAP financial measures.

Constant currency

The Company also presents certain information related to current period operating results in “constant currency,” which is a non-GAAP financial measure. These amounts are calculated by translating current period results at the foreign currency exchange rates used in the comparable period in the prior year. The Company presents such constant currency financial information because it has significant operations outside of the U.S. reporting in currencies other than the U.S. dollar and such presentation provides a framework to assess how its business performed excluding the impact of foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations.

Comparable sales

For the Company’s U.S. Retail Pharmacy and International segments, Comparable sales are defined as sales from stores that have been open for at least twelve consecutive months without closure for seven or more consecutive days, including due to looting or store damage, and without a major remodel or being subject to a natural disaster, in the past twelve months as well as e-commerce sales. E-commerce sales include digitally initiated sales online or through mobile applications. Relocated stores are not included as comparable sales for the first twelve months after the relocation. Acquired stores are not included as comparable sales for the first twelve months after acquisition or conversion, when applicable, whichever is later. Comparable sales, comparable pharmacy sales, comparable retail sales, comparable number of prescriptions and comparable number of 30-day equivalent prescriptions refer to total sales, pharmacy sales, retail sales, number of prescriptions and number of 30-day equivalent prescriptions, respectively. The method of calculating comparable sales varies across the retail industry and our method of calculating comparable sales may not be the same as other retailers’ methods.

With respect to the International segment, comparable sales, comparable pharmacy sales and comparable retail sales, are presented on a constant currency basis, which is a non-GAAP financial measure. Refer to the discussion above in “Constant currency” for further details on constant currency calculations.

Key Performance Indicators

The Company considers certain metrics, such as comparable sales (in constant currency), comparable pharmacy sales (in constant currency), comparable retail sales (in constant currency), comparable number of prescriptions, and comparable 30-day equivalent prescriptions to be key performance indicators because the Company’s management has evaluated its results of operations using these metrics and believes that these key performance indicators presented provide additional perspective and insights when analyzing the core operating performance of the Company from period to period and trends in its historical operating results. These key performance indicators should not be considered superior to, as a substitute for or as an alternative to, and should be considered in conjunction with, the GAAP financial measures presented herein. These measures may not be comparable to similarly-titled performance indicators used by other companies.

NON-GAAP RECONCILIATIONS BY SEGMENT AND ON A CONSOLIDATED BASIS

OPERATING LOSS TO ADJUSTED EBITDA FOR U.S. HEALTHCARE SEGMENT

EQUITY EARNINGS IN CENCORA

ADJUSTED EFFECTIVE TAX RATE

FREE CASH FLOW

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