Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (NASDAQ:WBA) Stock Holdings Increased by Cerity Partners LLC

Cerity Partners LLC increased its holdings in Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (NASDAQ:WBA - Free Report) by 38.9% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 185,319 shares of the pharmacy operator's stock after purchasing an additional 51,872 shares during the quarter. Cerity Partners LLC's holdings in Walgreens Boots Alliance were worth $2,070,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Colonial Trust Co SC raised 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 stake in shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance during the first quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Curat Global LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance during the first quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division raised its holdings in shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance by 28.6% during the first quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division now owns 4,500 shares of the pharmacy operator's stock valued at $50,000 after acquiring an additional 1,000 shares during the period. Finally, Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL grew its position in Walgreens Boots Alliance by 133.6% during the fourth quarter. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL now owns 6,100 shares of the pharmacy operator's stock valued at $57,000 after purchasing an additional 3,489 shares in the last quarter. 58.59% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WBA has been the topic of several research reports. Morgan Stanley reiterated an "underweight" rating on shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance in a research note on Thursday, June 26th. UBS Group reiterated 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 note on Wednesday, May 21st. They issued a "hold" rating on the stock. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Walgreens Boots Alliance currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $10.59.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Walgreens Boots Alliance news, Chairman Stefano Pessina bought 832,258 shares of the stock in a transaction on Sunday, April 27th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $11.01 per share, with a total value of $9,163,160.58. Following the completion of the purchase, the chairman owned 145,621,079 shares in the company, valued at $1,603,288,079.79. The trade was a 0.57% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 17.50% of the company's stock.

Walgreens Boots Alliance Price Performance

NASDAQ:WBA opened at $11.49 on Monday. Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. has a 1-year low of $8.08 and a 1-year 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 fifty day simple moving average of $11.36 and a 200 day simple moving average of $11.05. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.95 billion, a PE ratio of -1.58, a P/E/G ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 0.78.

Walgreens Boots Alliance (NASDAQ:WBA - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, June 26th. The pharmacy operator reported $0.38 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 firm had revenue of $38.99 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $36.72 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.63 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 7.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts expect that Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. will post 1.6 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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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