On Wednesday, BofA Securities maintained its Underperform rating on Walgreens Boots Alliance (NASDAQ:WBA) with a steady price target of $7.50. The firm's analysis suggests that although Walgreens is taking measures to stabilize its U.S. Retail Pharmacy profit, such as closing stores, negotiating with Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) more aggressively, and cutting operating costs, challenges persist. The core retail pharmacy business is expected to face a $500 million to $700 million earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) headwind in the fiscal year 2025 due to ongoing reimbursement pressure and other structural factors.
According to BofA Securities, Walgreens' efforts to counteract these pressures include shutting down unprofitable stores, acquiring prescription files from other pharmacies, and reducing operating expenses. These strategies are seen as partial mitigation against the structural headwinds the company is facing. Despite these efforts, the analyst indicates that Walgreens has a limited capacity to enhance its profitability over an extended period.
The report further elaborates that while Walgreens' more assertive stance with PBMs is a step towards addressing profitability issues, the company's path to sustainable earnings growth is not clear. The price target of $7.50 is based on a 5.5 times the calendar year 2025 estimated earnings per share (EPS), which has been adjusted from a previous multiple of 4.5 times. This adjustment reflects the firm's view that the guidance provided by Walgreens has reduced the potential near-term downside to EPS.
The reiteration of the Underperform rating and the price target by BofA Securities underscores the firm's stance that Walgreens faces significant challenges ahead. The company's strategies to stabilize and improve its financial performance in the face of structural industry headwinds remain under close scrutiny by investors and market analysts.
In other recent news, Walgreens Boots Alliance has announced a series of significant developments. The company reported a decrease in adjusted earnings per share (EPS) for the fourth quarter of 2024, down 41% year-over-year to $0.39, and a 28% decline in full-year adjusted EPS to $2.88. Walgreens also shared plans to close roughly 1,200 underperforming stores over the next three years.
Deutsche Bank has lowered its price target for Walgreens from $11 to $10, maintaining a Hold rating on the stock. This adjustment follows Walgreens' recent financial performance and future guidance, which have raised concerns among analysts.
In contrast, TD Cowen has maintained its Buy rating and $16 price target for Walgreens, highlighting the company's proactive measures to address key concerns and the anticipated $100 million benefit to adjusted operating income by fiscal year 2025.
Walgreens' fiscal 2025 adjusted EPS guidance is set between $1.40 and $1.80, and it anticipates a $150 million reduction in capital expenditures. The company is also targeting $500 million in working capital initiatives for fiscal 2025, expecting to generate approximately $500 million in free cash flow. Despite a net loss of $8.6 billion in GAAP results, the U.S. Retail Pharmacy segment saw comparable sales rise by 8.3%, and the US Healthcare segment exceeded expectations with $66 million in adjusted EBITDA.
InvestingPro Insights
Recent data from InvestingPro sheds additional light on Walgreens Boots Alliance's financial situation, providing context to BofA Securities' analysis. Despite the challenges outlined in the article, Walgreens maintains a substantial market presence with a market capitalization of $9 billion. The company's revenue for the last twelve months as of Q4 2024 stood at an impressive $147.66 billion, with a revenue growth of 6.17% over the same period.
However, profitability remains a concern, aligning with BofA's observations. Walgreens' P/E ratio is currently negative at -3.49, reflecting the earnings challenges mentioned in the article. This is further emphasized by the negative return on assets of -17.39% for the last twelve months as of Q4 2024.
InvestingPro Tips highlight additional aspects of Walgreens' financial health:
1. Walgreens has a high dividend yield of 9.6%, which may attract income-focused investors despite the company's challenges.
2. The stock is trading at a low Price to Book ratio of 0.75, potentially indicating undervaluation relative to its assets.
These insights provide a more comprehensive view of Walgreens' financial position, complementing the analysis in the article. For investors seeking a deeper understanding, InvestingPro offers 13 additional tips for Walgreens Boots Alliance, providing a broader perspective on the company's outlook and potential investment considerations.
This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.