Walgreens Boots Alliance (NASDAQ:WBA) Hits New 52-Week Low - Time to Sell?

Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (NASDAQ:WBA - Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week low during trading on Monday . The company traded as low as $8.21 and last traded at $8.35, with a volume of 395367 shares. The stock had previously closed at $8.48.

Analyst Ratings Changes

WBA has been the subject of several analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on Walgreens Boots Alliance from $20.00 to $15.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 30th. Evercore ISI boosted their price objective on Walgreens Boots Alliance from $7.50 to $10.00 and gave the stock an "in-line" rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Truist Financial cut their price target on Walgreens Boots Alliance from $13.00 to $10.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, October 7th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on Walgreens Boots Alliance from $9.00 to $7.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 11th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price objective on Walgreens Boots Alliance from $19.00 to $9.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, October 23rd. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Walgreens Boots Alliance has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $12.88.

Walgreens Boots Alliance Stock Up 5.1 %

The company has a quick ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 0.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $9.19 and a 200 day moving average price of $11.83.

Walgreens Boots Alliance (NASDAQ:WBA - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, October 15th. The pharmacy operator reported $0.39 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 company had revenue of $37.50 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $35.75 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.67 EPS. Walgreens Boots Alliance's quarterly revenue was up 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts expect that Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. will post 1.53 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walgreens Boots Alliance Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 12th. Stockholders 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 dividend yield of 11.55%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 18th. Walgreens Boots Alliance's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -9.99%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walgreens Boots Alliance

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of 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 valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 1,300 shares in the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance by 87.0% during the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 2,324 shares of the pharmacy operator's stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 1,081 shares during the last quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC raised its holdings in shares of Walgreens Boots Alliance by 8,670.3% during the third quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC now owns 3,245 shares of the pharmacy operator's stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 3,208 shares during the last quarter. Continuum Advisory LLC increased its holdings in Walgreens Boots Alliance by 71.2% in the second quarter. Continuum Advisory LLC now owns 2,453 shares of the pharmacy operator's stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 1,020 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sentry Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in Walgreens Boots Alliance in the third quarter valued at $30,000. 58.59% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.