American Investment Services Inc. Lowers Holdings in Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (NASDAQ:WBA)

Key Points

• American Investment Services Inc. reduced its holdings in Walgreens Boots Alliance by 36.4%, selling 52,226 shares and leaving them with a total of 91,149 shares valued at approximately $1,018,000.
• Walgreens reported $0.38 earnings per share for the latest quarter, surpassing analysts’ expectations of $0.34, with quarterly revenue increasing by 7.2% year-over-year.
• Current market analysts have mixed viewpoints on Walgreens, with four issuing sell ratings, seven a hold rating, and two a buy rating, resulting in an average rating of "Hold" and a price target of $10.59.

American Investment Services Inc. trimmed its holdings in Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (NASDAQ:WBA - Free Report) by 36.4% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 91,149 shares of the pharmacy operator's stock after selling 52,226 shares during the period. American Investment Services Inc.'s holdings in Walgreens Boots Alliance were worth $1,018,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Colonial Trust Co SC boosted its position in shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance by 79.5% during the fourth quarter. Colonial Trust Co SC now owns 2,928 shares of the pharmacy operator's stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 1,297 shares during the period. Sentry Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance during the first quarter worth $27,000. Curat Global LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance during the first quarter worth $27,000. Federated Hermes Inc. boosted its position in shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance by 135.8% during the first quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 3,152 shares of the pharmacy operator's stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 1,815 shares during the period. Finally, N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance during the first quarter worth $43,000. 58.59% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Walgreens Boots Alliance Trading Down 0.7%

NASDAQ:WBA opened at $11.96 on Friday. Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. has a 12-month low of $8.08 and a 12-month high of $13.25. The company has a current ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.96. The firm has a market cap of $10.35 billion, a PE ratio of -1.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 0.80. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $11.56 and a 200 day moving average price of $11.12.

Walgreens Boots Alliance (NASDAQ:WBA - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, June 26th. The pharmacy operator reported $0.38 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.34 by $0.04. Walgreens Boots Alliance had a positive return on equity of 17.66% and a negative net margin of 4.07%. The company had revenue of $38.99 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $36.72 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.63 earnings per share. Walgreens Boots Alliance's quarterly revenue was up 7.2% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. will post 1.6 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on WBA. Wall Street Zen initiated coverage on Walgreens Boots Alliance in a research note on Wednesday, May 21st. They issued a "hold" rating on the stock. UBS Group reiterated a "neutral" rating on shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance in a report on Thursday, June 26th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reiterated an "underweight" rating on shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance in a report on Thursday, June 26th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $10.59.

Walgreens Boots Alliance Company Profile

Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc operates as a healthcare, pharmacy, and retail company in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and internationally. It operates through three segments: U.S. Retail Pharmacy, International, and U.S. Healthcare. The U.S. Retail Pharmacy segment engages in operation of the retail drugstores, health and wellness services, specialty, and home delivery pharmacy services, which offers health and wellness, beauty, personal care and consumables, and general merchandise.

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