Walgreens Boots Alliance : Reports Fiscal 2017 Second Quarter Results

Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (Nasdaq: WBA) today announced financial results for the second quarter of fiscal 2017, which ended 28 February 2017.

Executive Vice Chairman and CEO Stefano Pessina said, “Our results this quarter were in line with our expectations despite some challenging conditions we faced in a number of markets. I am particularly pleased with the growth in pharmacy volume and market share in the Retail Pharmacy USA division, which saw the highest comparable prescription growth in more than seven years. At the same time, we continue to work toward gaining regulatory approval of the pending acquisition of Rite Aid Corporation by the end of July, consistent with the amended merger agreement announced in January.”

Overview of Second Quarter Results

Fiscal 2017 second quarter net earnings attributable to Walgreens Boots Alliance determined in accordance with GAAP increased 14.0 percent to $1.1 billion compared with the same quarter a year ago, while GAAP diluted net earnings per share increased 15.3 percent to $0.98 compared with the same quarter a year ago. The increases in GAAP net earnings and GAAP net earnings per share primarily reflect the reduction in the fair value of the company’s AmerisourceBergen Corporation warrants in the year-ago quarter, partially offset by higher costs related to the company’s cost transformation program in the quarter.

Adjusted fiscal 2017 second quarter net earnings attributable to Walgreens Boots Alliance¹ increased 3.7 percent to $1.5 billion, up 6.2 percent on a constant currency basis, compared with the same quarter a year ago. Adjusted diluted net earnings per share for the quarter increased 3.8 percent to $1.36, up 6.1 percent on a constant currency basis, compared with the same quarter a year ago.

Sales in the second quarter were $29.4 billion, a decrease of 2.4 percent from the year-ago quarter, and an increase of 0.9 percent on a constant currency basis. Excluding the impact of the leap year in 2016, sales increased 2.2 percent on a constant currency basis.

GAAP operating income in the second quarter was $1.5 billion, a decrease of 20.5 percent from the same quarter a year ago, primarily due to costs related to the company’s cost transformation program. Adjusted operating income in the second quarter was $2.0 billion, a decrease of 4.9 percent from the same quarter a year ago, and a decrease of 2.7 percent on a constant currency basis.

GAAP net cash provided by operating activities was $2.9 billion in the second quarter, an increase of $504 million from the same quarter a year ago, and free cash flow was $2.6 billion, an increase of $560 million.

Overview of Fiscal 2017 First Half Results

Fiscal 2017 first half net earnings attributable to Walgreens Boots Alliance determined in accordance with GAAP increased 3.6 percent to $2.1 billion compared with the same period a year ago, while GAAP diluted net earnings per share increased 3.7 percent to $1.94 compared with the same period a year ago.

Adjusted net earnings attributable to Walgreens Boots Alliance¹ for the first six months of fiscal 2017 increased 4.8 percent to $2.7 billion, up 7.1 percent on a constant currency basis, compared with the same period a year ago. Adjusted diluted net earnings per share for the first six months of fiscal 2017 increased 5.1 percent to $2.46, up 7.7 percent on a constant currency basis, compared with the same period a year ago.

Sales decreased 2.1 percent to $57.9 billion in the first six months of fiscal 2017 compared with the same period a year ago. On a constant currency basis, sales increased 1.0 percent.

GAAP operating income in the first half of fiscal 2017 was $2.9 billion, a decrease of 12.1 percent from the same period a year ago. Adjusted operating income in the first half of the fiscal year was $3.7 billion, a decrease of 2.5 percent from the same period a year ago, and a decrease of 0.3 percent on a constant currency basis.

GAAP net cash provided by operating activities was $3.4 billion in the first half of fiscal 2017, an increase of $297 million from the same period a year ago, and free cash flow was $2.7 billion, an increase of $315 million.

Cost Transformation Program

The company achieved $1.5 billion in savings from its previously announced cost transformation program ahead of schedule. The program is on track to be completed by the end of fiscal 2017, as previously announced. Accordingly, full program benefits will be recognized in subsequent periods. The company now expects total pre-tax charges associated with this program to its GAAP financial results will be approximately $1.8 billion, consistent with the upper end of the expected range when the expanded program was announced in April 2015.

Rite Aid Acquisition

As announced 30 January 2017, Walgreens Boots Alliance and Rite Aid Corporation entered into an amendment and extension of their merger agreement, which was originally announced 27 October 2015. Walgreens Boots Alliance continues to be actively engaged in discussions with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regarding the pending acquisition, and the extension of the end date of the agreement to 31 July 2017 allows the parties additional time to obtain regulatory approval. The transaction is subject to approval by the holders of Rite Aid’s common stock, the expiration or termination of applicable waiting periods under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, and other customary closing conditions.

Walgreens Boots Alliance continues to expect that it will realize synergies from the acquisition of Rite Aid in excess of $1 billion, to be fully realized within three to four years of the closing of the merger. These synergies, as previously disclosed, are expected to be derived primarily from procurement, cost savings and other operational matters.

Share Repurchase Program

On 3 April 2017 the company authorized a share repurchase program for up to $1 billion of the company’s shares prior to the program’s expiration on 31 December 2017.

Company Outlook

The company maintained its guidance for fiscal 2017 and continues to expect adjusted diluted net earnings per share of $4.90 to $5.08.

As previously disclosed on 30 January 2017, the company no longer expects any material accretion from Rite Aid in fiscal 2017. Additionally, this guidance assumes current exchange rates for the rest of the fiscal year.

Comparability of Results

Second quarter and first half 2017 results are not directly comparable with the year-ago periods due to the leap year in 2016. Comparable sales and comparable prescription figures for the second quarter are adjusted for the leap year by excluding 29 February 2016 from the calculations.

Second Quarter Business Division Highlights

Retail Pharmacy USA:

Retail Pharmacy USA had second quarter sales of $21.8 billion, an increase of 1.5 percent over the year-ago quarter. Sales in comparable stores increased 2.4 percent compared with the same quarter a year ago.

Pharmacy sales, which accounted for 66.5 percent of the division’s sales in the quarter, increased 3.7 percent compared with the year-ago quarter. Comparable pharmacy sales increased 4.2 percent, primarily due to increased volume. The division filled 246.7 million prescriptions (including immunizations) adjusted to 30-day equivalents in the quarter, an increase of 5.9 percent over the year-ago quarter. Prescriptions filled in comparable stores increased 7.9 percent compared with the same quarter a year ago, primarily due to Medicare Part D growth and volume growth from previously announced strategic pharmacy partnerships. The division’s retail prescription market share on a 30-day adjusted basis in the second quarter increased approximately 100 basis points over the year-ago quarter to 20.4 percent, as reported by IMS Health. Reimbursement pressure and generics had a negative impact on comparable sales growth, which was partially offset by brand inflation.

Retail sales decreased 2.7 percent in the second quarter compared with the year-ago period, which includes the impact of the previously announced closure of certain e-commerce operations. Comparable retail sales were down 0.8 percent in the quarter, in what was a challenging market, with declines in the consumables and general merchandise category and the personal care category partially offset by solid growth in the health and wellness category and the beauty category.

GAAP gross profit decreased 0.3 percent compared with the same quarter a year ago and adjusted gross profit decreased 0.6 percent due to the impact of the leap day in 2016. A decrease in retail gross profit was partially offset by an increase in pharmacy.

GAAP second quarter selling, general and administrative expenses (SG&A) as a percentage of sales increased 1.0 percentage point compared with the year-ago quarter, primarily due to costs related to the cost transformation program. On an adjusted basis, SG&A as a percentage of sales decreased 0.1 percentage point in the same period.

GAAP operating income in the second quarter decreased 21.6 percent from the year-ago quarter to $1.1 billion. Adjusted operating income in the second quarter decreased 4.9 percent from the year-ago quarter to $1.6 billion.

Retail Pharmacy International:

Retail Pharmacy International had second quarter sales of $3.1 billion, a decrease of 14.5 percent from the year-ago quarter mainly due to currency translation. Sales decreased 1.9 percent on a constant currency basis.

On a constant currency basis, comparable store sales decreased 0.9 percent compared with the year-ago quarter. Comparable pharmacy sales decreased 3.7 percent on a constant currency basis, primarily due to the negative impact of a reduction in pharmacy funding in the UK. Comparable retail sales increased 0.6 percent on a constant currency basis, reflecting growth in Boots in the UK, Republic of Ireland and Thailand.

GAAP gross profit decreased 16.3 percent compared with the same quarter a year ago, mainly due to currency translation. On a constant currency basis, adjusted gross profit decreased 4.0 percent, mainly due to the reduction in pharmacy funding in the UK and the impact of the leap day in the year-ago quarter.

GAAP SG&A as a percentage of sales increased 1.0 percentage point. Adjusted SG&A as a percentage of sales, on a constant currency basis, increased by 0.6 percentage point.

GAAP operating income in the second quarter decreased 33.8 percent from the year-ago quarter to $198 million, while adjusted operating income decreased 27.8 percent to $242 million, down 16.7 percent on a constant currency basis.

Pharmaceutical Wholesale:

Pharmaceutical Wholesale had second quarter sales of $5.0 billion, a decrease of 10.6 percent from the year-ago quarter, mainly due to currency translation. On a constant currency basis, comparable sales increased 5.2 percent, which was behind the company’s estimate of market growth, weighted on the basis of country wholesale sales, due to challenging market conditions in continental Europe.

GAAP operating income in the second quarter was $165 million, which included $42 million from the company’s equity earnings in AmerisourceBergen, compared with $134 million in the year-ago quarter. Adjusted operating income increased 45.8 percent to $226 million, up 59.4 percent on a constant currency basis. Excluding $79 million in adjusted equity earnings from AmerisourceBergen, adjusted operating income was up 8.4 percent on a constant currency basis.

Conference Call

Walgreens Boots Alliance will hold a one-hour conference call to discuss the second quarter results beginning at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time today, 5 April 2017. The conference call will be simulcast through the Walgreens Boots Alliance investor relations website at: http://investor.walgreensbootsalliance.com. A replay of the conference call will be archived on the website for 12 months after the call.

The replay also will be available from 11:30 a.m. Eastern time, 5 April 2017 through 12 April 2017, by calling +1 855 859 2056 within the USA and Canada, or +1 404 537 3406 outside the USA and Canada, using replay code 83158362.

¹ Please see the “Supplemental Information (Unaudited) Regarding Non-GAAP Financial Measures” at the end of this press release for more detailed information regarding non-GAAP financial measures.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: All statements in this release that are not historical including, without limitation, those regarding estimates of and goals for future financial and operating performance (including those under “Company Outlook” above), the expected execution and effect of our business strategies, our cost-savings and growth initiatives and restructuring activities and the amounts and timing of their expected impact, and our pending agreement with Rite Aid and the transactions contemplated thereby and their possible effects, are forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “expect,” “likely,” “outlook,” “forecast,” “preliminary,” “would,” “could,” “should,” “can,” “will,” “project,” “intend,” “plan,” “goal,” “guidance,” “target,” “aim,” “continue,” “sustain,” “synergy,” “on track,” “on schedule,” “headwind,” “tailwind,” “believe,” “seek,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “may,” “possible,” “assume,” and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions, known or unknown, that could cause actual results to vary materially from those indicated or anticipated, including, but not limited to, those relating to the impact of private and public third-party payers’ efforts to reduce prescription drug reimbursements, fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, the timing and magnitude of the impact of branded to generic drug conversions and changes in generic drug prices, our ability to realize synergies and achieve financial, tax and operating results in the amounts and at the times anticipated, supply arrangements including our commercial agreement with AmerisourceBergen, the arrangements and transactions contemplated by our framework agreement with AmerisourceBergen and their possible effects, the risks associated with the company’s equity method investment in AmerisourceBergen, the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination, cross-termination or modification of any of our contractual obligations, the amount of costs, fees, expenses and charges incurred in connection with strategic transactions, whether the costs associated with restructuring activities will exceed estimates, our ability to realize expected savings and benefits from cost-savings initiatives, restructuring activities and acquisitions in the amounts and at the times anticipated, the timing and amount of any impairment or other charges, the timing and severity of cough, cold and flu season, changes in management’s assumptions, the risks associated with governance and control matters, the ability to retain key personnel, changes in economic and business conditions generally or in particular markets in which we participate, changes in financial markets and interest rates, the risks associated with international business operations, including the risks associated with the proposed withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union, the risk of unexpected costs, liabilities or delays, changes in vendor, customer and payer relationships and terms, including changes in network participation and reimbursement terms, risks of inflation in the cost of goods, risks associated with the operation and growth of our customer loyalty programs, competition, risks associated with new business areas and activities, risks associated with acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures and strategic investments, including those relating to the ability of the parties to satisfy the closing conditions (including, without limitation, approval by the holders of Rite Aid’s common stock and the expiration or termination of applicable waiting periods under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended) and consummate the pending acquisition of Rite Aid and related matters (including the pending divestiture transaction to sell certain Rite Aid stores and assets to Fred’s, Inc.) on a timely basis or at all, the risks associated with the integration of complex businesses, outcomes of legal and regulatory matters, including with respect to regulatory review and actions in connection with the pending acquisition of Rite Aid and related matters, and risks associated with changes in laws, regulations or interpretations thereof. These and other risks, assumptions and uncertainties are described in Item 1A (Risk Factors) of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended 31 August 2016, which is incorporated herein by reference, and in other documents that we file or furnish with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those indicated or anticipated by such forward-looking statements. Accordingly, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. Except to the extent required by law, we do not undertake, and expressly disclaim, any duty or obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statement after the date of this release, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions or otherwise.

Please refer to the supplemental information presented below for reconciliations of the non-GAAP financial measures used in this release to the most comparable GAAP financial measure and related disclosures.

Notes to Editors:

About Walgreens Boots Alliance

Walgreens Boots Alliance (Nasdaq: WBA) is the first global pharmacy-led, health and wellbeing enterprise.

The company was created through the combination of Walgreens and Alliance Boots in December 2014, bringing together two leading companies with iconic brands, complementary geographic footprints, shared values and a heritage of trusted health care services through pharmaceutical wholesaling and community pharmacy care, dating back more than 100 years.

Walgreens Boots Alliance is the largest retail pharmacy, health and daily living destination across the USA and Europe. Walgreens Boots Alliance and the companies in which it has equity method investments together have a presence in more than 25* countries and employ more than 400,000* people. The company is a global leader in pharmacy-led, health and wellbeing retail and, together with the companies in which it has equity method investments, has over 13,200* stores in 11* countries as well as one of the largest global pharmaceutical wholesale and distribution networks, with over 390* distribution centers delivering to more than 230,000** pharmacies, doctors, health centers and hospitals each year in more than 20* countries. In addition, Walgreens Boots Alliance is one of the world’s largest purchasers of prescription drugs and many other health and wellbeing products.

The company’s portfolio of retail and business brands includes Walgreens, Duane Reade, Boots and Alliance Healthcare, as well as increasingly global health and beauty product brands, such as No7, Botanics, Liz Earle and Soap & Glory.

In October 2016 Walgreens Boots Alliance received the United Nations Foundation Global Leadership Award for its commitment to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. The company also ranks No. 1 in the Food and Drug Stores industry of Fortune magazine’s 2017 list of the World’s Most Admired Companies.

More company information is available at www.walgreensbootsalliance.com.

* As of 31 August 2016, using publicly available information for AmerisourceBergen.

** For 12 months ending 31 August 2016, using publicly available information for AmerisourceBergen.

(WBA-ER)

Constant Currency

The company also presents certain information related to current period operating results in “constant currency,” which is a non-GAAP financial measure. These amounts are calculated by translating current period results at the foreign currency exchange rates used in the comparable period in the prior year. The company presents such constant currency financial information because it has significant operations outside of the United States reporting in currencies other than the U.S. dollar and this presentation provides a framework to assess how its business performed excluding the impact of foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations. In the second quarter of fiscal 2017, sales on a reported currency basis, adjusted for the leap year in 2016, decreased 1.1 percent compared with the same quarter a year ago.

Comparable Sales

For our Retail Pharmacy divisions, comparable stores are defined as those that have been open for at least 12 consecutive months and that have not been closed for seven or more consecutive days, undergone a major remodel or been subject to a natural disaster during the past 12 months. Relocated and acquired stores are not included as comparable stores for the first 12 months after the relocation or acquisition. Comparable store sales, comparable pharmacy sales and comparable retail sales refer to total sales, pharmacy sales and retail sales, respectively, in such stores. For our Pharmaceutical Wholesale division, comparable sales are defined as sales excluding acquisitions and dispositions. The method of calculating comparable sales varies across the industries in which we operate. As a result, our method of calculating comparable sales may not be the same as other companies’ methods.

Comparable sales are presented on a constant currency basis for the Retail Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Wholesale divisions. In the second quarter of fiscal 2017 compared to the year-ago quarter, the Retail Pharmacy International division’s comparable store sales on a reported currency basis decreased 13.7 percent, comparable pharmacy sales on a reported currency basis decreased 15.4 percent and comparable retail sales on a reported currency basis decreased 12.8 percent. The Pharmaceutical Wholesale division’s comparable sales excluding acquisitions and dispositions on a reported currency basis decreased 6.5 percent.

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