3,303 Shares in Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (NASDAQ:WBA) Acquired by Sentry Investment Management LLC

Sentry Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (NASDAQ:WBA) in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 3,303 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock, valued at approximately $30,000.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. New Covenant Trust Company N.A. purchased a new position in Walgreens Boots Alliance in the 1st quarter worth about $35,000. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Walgreens Boots Alliance by 162.5% during the second quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,100 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 1,300 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance by 87.0% in the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 2,324 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 1,081 shares in the last quarter. Continuum Advisory LLC boosted its stake in Walgreens Boots Alliance by 71.2% in the 2nd quarter. Continuum Advisory LLC now owns 2,453 shares of the pharmacy operator’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 1,020 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL acquired a new stake in Walgreens Boots Alliance during the 2nd quarter worth about $34,000. Institutional investors own 58.59% of the company’s stock.

Walgreens Boots Alliance Stock Performance

Shares of WBA stock opened at $9.62 on Wednesday. Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. has a one year low of $8.22 and a one year high of $27.05. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $9.19 and its 200 day simple moving average is $12.32. The company has a quick ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 0.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67.

Walgreens Boots Alliance (NASDAQ:WBA) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 15th. The pharmacy operator reported $0.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.36 by $0.03. Walgreens Boots Alliance had a negative net margin of 5.85% and a positive return on equity of 14.23%. The firm had revenue of $37.50 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $35.75 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.67 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. will post 1.53 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walgreens Boots Alliance Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 12th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 18th will be given a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 10.40%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 18th. Walgreens Boots Alliance’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -9.99%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WBA has been the subject of several research reports. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance from $7.00 to $8.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance from $9.00 to $7.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 11th. Bank of America lowered their target price on shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance from $11.00 to $7.50 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, September 4th. UBS Group raised their price objective on Walgreens Boots Alliance from $9.00 to $10.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 17th. Finally, Evercore ISI upped their target price on shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance from $7.50 to $10.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $12.88.

About Walgreens Boots Alliance

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.