Nuveen LLC Makes New $19.04 Million Investment in Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. $WBA

Key Points

• Nuveen LLC has made a new investment in Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc., acquiring 1,704,950 shares valued at approximately $19.04 million.
• Other institutional investors, such as Colonial Trust Co SC and Federated Hermes Inc., have also increased their stakes in Walgreens Boots Alliance during the first quarter.
• The company's recent earnings report showed a 7.2% increase in revenue year-over-year, with earnings per share of $0.38, exceeding analyst expectations of $0.34.

Nuveen LLC acquired a new position in Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (NASDAQ:WBA - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 1,704,950 shares of the pharmacy operator's stock, valued at approximately $19,044,000. Nuveen LLC owned 0.20% of Walgreens Boots Alliance at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Colonial Trust Co SC boosted its holdings 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 valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 1,297 shares during the period. Sentry Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance during the first quarter valued at $27,000. Curat Global LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance during the first quarter valued at $27,000. Federated Hermes Inc. boosted its holdings 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 valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 1,815 shares during the period. Finally, N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance during the first quarter valued at $43,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 58.59% of the company's stock.

Walgreens Boots Alliance Stock Performance

WBA stock opened at $12.08 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $10.46 billion, a P/E ratio of -1.66, a PEG ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 0.80. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $11.58 and a 200 day simple moving average of $11.13. Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $8.08 and a fifty-two week high of $13.25. The company has a quick ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.96.

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WBA has been the subject of several analyst reports. Wall Street Zen initiated coverage on shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance in a report on Wednesday, May 21st. They set a "hold" rating for the company. UBS Group reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance in a report on Thursday, June 26th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reissued an "underweight" rating on shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance in a report on Thursday, June 26th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Walgreens Boots Alliance has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and an average price target of $10.59.

Walgreens Boots Alliance 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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