Walgreens Projects 7-12% Growth In FY19 Adj. EPS At Constant Currency Rates

(RTTNews) - Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (WBA) introduced guidance of 7 percent to 12 percent estimated growth in fiscal 2019 adjusted earnings per share, at constant currency rates. The guidance assumes current exchange rates for the rest of the fiscal year and results in an adjusted EPS range of $6.40 to $6.70 for fiscal 2019.

Fourth-quarter adjusted earnings per share were $1.48, up 13.0 percent on both an actual and constant currency basis, compared with the same quarter a year ago. Sales in the fourth quarter were $33.4 billion, an increase of 10.9 percent from the year-ago quarter, and an increase of 11.3 percent on a constant currency basis.

CEO Stefano Pessina said, "We are pleased to have delivered double digit percentage growth in earnings per share while returning $6.8 billion to shareholders through share repurchases and dividends in fiscal 2018. The integration of the acquired Rite Aid stores is on track, and our pharmacy market share in the U.S. increased year-over-year on an annual basis. We are making progress on our partnership strategy both in the U.S. and internationally, including our most recent announcements with LabCorp, Kroger and Alibaba, which will provide additional opportunities for future growth."