Walgreens Boots Alliance shareholders Friday approved private equity firm Sycamore Partners’ $10 ... More billion buyout offer for the iconic drugstore chain, the company said July 11, 2025. In this April 20218 photo, a business sign hangs over the entrance to a Walgreens pharmacy and store in Alexandria, Virginia. (Photo by Robert Alexander/Getty Images)Getty ImagesWalgreens Boots Alliance shareholders Friday approved private equity firm Sycamore Partners’ $10 billion buyout offer for the iconic drugstore ...

Time for uh stop trading. What do you got. Positive news here in the M&A front.Walgreens, Sycamore's buying them. They reported a very good quarter last night. First up, such surprise, I can recall and uh this is just the tradition.Remember, Sycamore is getting the actual drugstores, but I think this is very hopeful for Sweeney, for his team. I also think, David, that perhaps uh they get to sell some of these healthcare clinic businesses and you're going to find that this is a it's going to work. I can't be ...

Petco Health & Wellness (WOOF) came out with a quarterly loss of $0.01 per share versus the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of $0.02. This compares to loss of $0.04 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of 50%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this pet store chain would post earnings of $0.02 per share when it actually produced break-even earnings, delivering a surprise of -100%.Over the last four quarters, the co ...

Core Viewpoint - Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc (WBA) has been experiencing stagnant stock performance, particularly following the announcement of a $10 billion deal to take the company private by Sycamore Partners, with the stock currently priced at $11.21 [1] Group 1: Stock Performance - WBA has been identified as the worst-performing stock in the S&P 500 Index for the month of June over the past decade, averaging a loss of 3.7% and finishing lower 80% of the time [2] - The average return for WBA in June is -3.69%, with a median return of -1.63%, and only 20% of the time has it posted a positive return [3] Group 2: Analyst Sentiment - Among the 15 analysts covering WBA, only two have a "buy" rating, while 11 maintain a "hold" rating, indicating potential for downgrades that could negatively impact the stock [4] - The current call/put volume ratio for WBA is 4.57, which is higher than 84% of readings from the past year, suggesting a high level of optimism in the options market [4] Group 3: Options Market - The Schaeffer's Volatility Index (SVI) for WBA is at 23%, ranking in the low 12th percentile of its annual range, indicating that options traders are expecting low volatility [5] - Historically, WBA has outperformed these low volatility expectations, as reflected in its Schaeffer's Volatility Scorecard (SVS) score of 81 out of 100 [5]

Rite Aid is reportedly closing additional stores while handing off business to rivals.The drugstore chain, which recently filed for bankruptcy for the second time, has revealed 95 locations it wants to shut down, Fast Company reported, citing a court filing.The locations are spread across six states, but are primarily based in Rite Aid’s home state of Pennsylvania, where the company plans to close more than 70 stores. In total, Rite Aid has targeted 210 stores for closure, the report said.The filing came on ...

Core Insights - Walgreens is focusing on automation to enhance efficiency and improve patient interaction as it navigates challenges in the drugstore industry [1][2][5] Group 1: Automation and Micro-Fulfillment Centers - Walgreens is expanding its micro-fulfillment centers, which utilize robots to fill prescriptions, aiming to serve over 5,000 stores by year-end, up from 4,800 in February 2023 [4] - The micro-fulfillment centers currently handle an average of 40% of prescription volume at supported pharmacies, equating to approximately 16 million prescriptions filled monthly [4][7] - The investment in robotic pharmacy fills has generated around $500 million in savings by reducing excess inventory and increasing efficiency [7] Group 2: Operational Changes and Market Position - The company is transitioning from opening new stores to closing underperforming locations to improve profitability amid competition from CVS Health, Amazon, and others [5][6] - Walgreens aims to alleviate the workload of pharmacy staff, allowing them to focus more on clinical services like vaccinations and testing [2][8] - The automation strategy provides Walgreens with a competitive edge over independent pharmacies and some rivals that lack centralized support [9] Group 3: Industry Context and Challenges - The drugstore industry is facing challenges such as declining pharmacy reimbursement rates, reduced consumer spending, and increased competition from online retailers [5][6] - The shift towards automation is partly a response to staff burnout and chronic understaffing issues highlighted by nationwide walkouts in 2023 [6] - While micro-fulfillment centers offer cost savings and efficiency, they also come with risks related to reliance on advanced robotics [10]