Raymond James Financial Inc. Increases Position in Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. $WBA

Key Points

• Raymond James Financial Inc. has increased its stake in Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. by 6.6%, purchasing an additional 68,640 shares and now holding a total of 1,106,693 shares worth approximately $12.36 million.
• Walgreens Boots Alliance reported an earnings per share (EPS) of $0.38 for the last quarter, exceeding the consensus estimate of $0.34 and generating $38.99 billion in revenue.
• Institutional investors now own about 58.59% of Walgreens Boots Alliance's shares, highlighting significant interest from the investment community in the company.

Raymond James Financial Inc. grew its position in Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (NASDAQ:WBA - Free Report) by 6.6% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,106,693 shares of the pharmacy operator's stock after acquiring an additional 68,640 shares during the quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. owned about 0.13% of Walgreens Boots Alliance worth $12,362,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Fifth Lane Capital LP purchased a new stake in shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance in the first quarter valued at approximately $558,000. Cresset Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Walgreens Boots Alliance in the 1st quarter valued at $132,000. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance by 92.8% in the 1st quarter. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC now owns 55,423 shares of the pharmacy operator's stock worth $619,000 after acquiring an additional 26,677 shares during the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance by 3.5% during the 1st quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 357,424 shares of the pharmacy operator's stock worth $3,993,000 after acquiring an additional 12,151 shares during the period. Finally, HighTower Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance by 4.8% during the 1st quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 173,205 shares of the pharmacy operator's stock valued at $1,935,000 after acquiring an additional 7,861 shares during the last quarter. 58.59% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Walgreens Boots Alliance Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ WBA remained flat at $11.98 during midday trading on Wednesday. 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 $10.37 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 50-day moving average price of $11.71 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $11.29. Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. has a 52 week low of $8.08 and a 52 week high of $13.25.

Walgreens Boots Alliance (NASDAQ:WBA - Get Free Report) last released its 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 company had revenue of $38.99 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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 firm's quarterly revenue was up 7.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.63 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. will post 1.6 EPS for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on WBA shares. Morgan Stanley reissued an "underweight" rating on shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance in a report on Thursday, June 26th. UBS Group reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance in a research note on Thursday, June 26th. Finally, Wall Street Zen began coverage on shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance in a research report on Wednesday, May 21st. They set a "hold" rating on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Walgreens Boots Alliance currently has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and a consensus target price of $10.15.

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.