Rafferty Asset Management LLC Sells 27,464 Shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. $WBA

Key Points

• Rafferty Asset Management LLC has decreased its holdings in Walgreens Boots Alliance by 26.3%, selling 27,464 shares and bringing its total to 77,005 shares valued at approximately $860,000.
• Several large investors, including Charles Schwab Investment Management and Northern Trust Corp, have recently increased their stakes in Walgreens Boots Alliance, indicating shifting investor interest in the company.
• For the latest quarter, Walgreens Boots Alliance reported earnings of $0.38 per share, surpassing analysts’ expectations and achieving 7.2% revenue growth year-over-year.

Rafferty Asset Management LLC lessened its stake in shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (NASDAQ:WBA - Free Report) by 26.3% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 77,005 shares of the pharmacy operator's stock after selling 27,464 shares during the quarter. Rafferty Asset Management LLC's holdings in Walgreens Boots Alliance were worth $860,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Colonial Trust Co SC increased its holdings in Walgreens Boots Alliance by 79.5% in the 4th quarter. Colonial Trust Co SC now owns 2,928 shares of the pharmacy operator's stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 1,297 shares during the period. Sentry Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Walgreens Boots Alliance during the 1st quarter worth approximately $27,000. Curat Global LLC acquired a new stake in Walgreens Boots Alliance during the 1st quarter worth approximately $27,000. Federated Hermes Inc. lifted its position in shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance by 135.8% in the 1st quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 3,152 shares of the pharmacy operator's stock worth $35,000 after purchasing 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 1st quarter valued at $43,000. 58.59% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Walgreens Boots Alliance Stock Performance

NASDAQ WBA remained flat at $11.98 during trading on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -1.64, a P/E/G ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 0.80. Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. has a 52-week low of $8.08 and a 52-week high of $13.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 0.60 and a quick ratio of 0.32. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $11.73 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $11.29.

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have commented on the stock. Wall Street Zen assumed coverage on shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance in a research note on Wednesday, May 21st. They set a "hold" rating for the company. Morgan Stanley restated an "underweight" rating on shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance in a research note on Thursday, June 26th. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a "neutral" rating on shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance in a research note on Thursday, June 26th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Walgreens Boots Alliance currently has an average rating of "Reduce" and an average price target of $10.15.

About Walgreens Boots Alliance

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.