Cwm LLC Raises Holdings in Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (NASDAQ:WBA)

CWM LLC increased its holdings in Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (NASDAQ:WBA - Free Report) by 118.5% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 102,932 shares of the pharmacy operator's stock after purchasing an additional 55,831 shares during the quarter. CWM LLC's holdings in Walgreens Boots Alliance were worth $1,150,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. New York State Common Retirement Fund raised its position in shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance by 6.7% in the 1st quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 343,209 shares of the pharmacy operator's stock valued at $3,834,000 after acquiring an additional 21,500 shares during the period. Ballentine Partners LLC raised its stake in Walgreens Boots Alliance by 67.3% in the first quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC now owns 30,580 shares of the pharmacy operator's stock valued at $342,000 after purchasing an additional 12,296 shares in the last quarter. State of Michigan Retirement System raised its stake in Walgreens Boots Alliance by 3.0% during the first quarter. State of Michigan Retirement System now owns 274,702 shares of the pharmacy operator's stock worth $3,068,000 after acquiring an additional 8,000 shares in the last quarter. Cerity Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance by 38.9% during the first quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 185,319 shares of the pharmacy operator's stock worth $2,070,000 after purchasing an additional 51,872 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nisa Investment Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Walgreens Boots Alliance by 199.0% in the first quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 66,463 shares of the pharmacy operator's stock valued at $742,000 after acquiring an additional 44,231 shares during the last quarter. 58.59% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Walgreens Boots Alliance Stock Performance

Shares of WBA traded up $0.02 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $11.54. 4,781,931 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 18,720,007. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.99 billion, a P/E ratio of -1.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 0.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.96, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a current ratio of 0.60. Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. has a 12 month low of $8.08 and a 12 month high of $13.25. The business's 50-day moving average price is $11.36 and its 200-day moving average price is $11.05.

Walgreens Boots Alliance (NASDAQ:WBA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, June 26th. The pharmacy operator reported $0.38 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates 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 business had revenue of $38.99 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $36.72 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.63 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 7.2% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts predict that Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. will post 1.6 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have commented on WBA shares. UBS Group restated a "neutral" rating on shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance in a research note on Thursday, June 26th. Morgan Stanley restated an "underweight" rating on shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance in a research report on Thursday, June 26th. Finally, Wall Street Zen initiated coverage on Walgreens Boots Alliance in a research report on Wednesday, May 21st. They issued a "hold" rating for the company. Four equities research 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 company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $10.59.

Insider Activity

In related news, Chairman Stefano Pessina bought 832,258 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Sunday, April 27th. The shares were bought at an average price of $11.01 per share, for a total transaction of $9,163,160.58. Following the transaction, the chairman directly owned 145,621,079 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,603,288,079.79. The trade was a 0.57% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 17.50% of the company's stock.

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.